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Fully Related by 

REV. W. S. HARRIS 

Author of "Mr. World and Miss Church- Member '," "Life in a Thou- 
sand Worlds" "Modern Fables and Parables " etc., etc. 

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Illustrated by 

Paul JCrafft anil a%rfi 

PUBLISHED BY 

THE MINTER COMPANY 

HARRISBURG, PENNA. 



Sold by Subscription Only 




LIBRARY B< CON-^^S 
Two Copies Recetivw} 

MAY 18 1904 

Copyright Entry 

h^n^-v. h> - I C\ o if 
CLASS a~ XXc. No. 

3 o x ^ a" 

COPY B 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1904, by 
Luther Minter, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C, U. S, A. 



To my many friends who by their 
kindly criticisms pro and con have 
made it easier for me to write, and 
who have urged me to the comple- 
tion of this volume, this book is sin- 
cerely dedicated. 



i 



PREFACE. 

The part that Satan plays in the drama of a hu- 
man life is often larger than a person will admit. 
Each one of us is not only acting, but we are con- 
stantly acted upon by one or the other of two great 
influences. The Good Spirit endeavors to lead us 
to the skies, and its angels are ever willing to 
minister to our real needs. The Evil Spirit, either 
openly or under cover, seeks to destroy our mind 
with the untruth by preaching to us his black ser- 
mons of death. Some of these sermons are short, 
others are longer, and at times they are delivered 
to us in the language of an angel with all the dig- 
nity that good scholarship might command. 

This volume was commenced with the purpose 
of tearing off his Satanic mask so that people 
might see more clearly the real source of these 
dark sermons. There are many people who, after 
yielding to temptation, will declare that they have 
acted independent of any evil influence. Satan is 
pleased to see a person rest in the shadow of such 
a delusion, but it is better for each one of us to 
know that either the good or evil spirit is seeking 
to be the guest of our thoughts, and it depends 
upon our attitude who will be entertained. 



4 



PREFACE. 



The most deceived man of all is he whose mind 
is influenced by the Evil Spirit and yet he believes 
that he is besought by the Good Spirit. We hope 
to reach some of such persons whose eyes are color 
blind and whose ears are so impaired that they 
alone cannot distinguish between the voices that 
are calling them downward and those that are call- 
ing them upward. 

We aimed to keep the book clean throughout, 
even though we tried to bring out the real charac- 
ter of the unclean Spirit. We have advanced only 
such arguments of Satan as he uses continually in 
his practical dealings with people. We were par- 
ticular that none of the chapters should be a source 
of temptation, but that they might give Satan his 
proper setting more clearly in the minds of the 
reader, and thereby destroy the edge of his sword 
as much as possible. 

To the art work of this book the most careful 
attention has been given, both by the author and 
the famous artist, Paul Krafft, of New York. 
Neither work nor money was spared to produce 
the most accurate drawings so as to assist the mind 
in grasping the truths of the book. And now, that 
the volume is completed, it is the fond hope of the 
writer that it may not fall short of its purpose. 



PREFACE. 



5 



The author sought the aid of Divine wisdom in 
producing this book, and he now depends upon the 
same power to carry it into the channels of His 
own choosing. 

The Authoe. 

May 12, 1904. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In some instances when the author of a book is 
unknown it is customary to secure some noted per- 
son to write the Introduction. It is unnecessary, 
however, in the presentation of this book to the 
public, inasmuch as its able author is so well 
known. Those who have read his former works 
are numbered by the hundreds of thousands. 
When an author's writings have been received 
with such a welcome and endorsed with such a 
phenomenal sale, not only in his own country, but 
also in other lands, it is unnecessary to introduce 
him and his works, as his name is already in the 
hearts of the people. 

We want to say that this book, entitled " Sermons 
by the Devil,' ' is original and unique from cover 
to cover, and that the author spent much time and 
thought in its preparation. We believe that it is 
the crowning work of his life. 

The illustrations have been drawn by the genius, 
Paul Krafft, and they are the best of his efforts. 
Each picture is a careful study and is perfected 
with much painstaking work. We have saved 
neither time nor expense to make this one of the 



8 



INTRODUCTION. 



best books ever put before the people for the low 
price we are asking for it. 

We hope that this work will be received with 
welcome in millions of homes and that its good 
mission will not be misunderstood. The book will 
surely do much good, and any one helping to dis- 
tribute it will be sowing seed that will bear a rich 
harvest long after his earthly life is ended. In 
these times of wickedness and greed there is great 
need of a spiritual awakening, and a book of this 
character is well calculated to reach the desired 
object. It is our hope that all this and even more 
will be accomplished through the influence of this 
book. 

The Publishers. 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

Satan's Sermon on Suicide, 17 

Sermons on the Biver of Life, 25 

A Serpent Sermon by Satan, 35 

Satan's Business Advice, . ., 40 

The Death of a Saloon-Keeper, 45 

A Sermon by Satan to a Dying Christian, ... 53 

Satan Preaches to a Society Woman, 57 

Preaching Behind Curtains, 60 

Views of Satan on Lying, 65 

Little Sermons by Satan to Persuade People 

to Eeject the Great Invitation, 73 

Satan's Musical Sermon, 87 

Satan on Child Training, 91 

Satan on Christian Zeal, 96 

Harmlessness of Sin, 100 

The Lord's Supper, 104 

Family Worship, 110 

Satan and Purity, ,. ... 118 

The Journey of Miss Pilgrim, 123 

A Time When Satan Failed,, 143 

How To Conduct Eevival Meetings, , 148 

A Tobacco Sermon by Satan, 157 

The Devil's Free Lunch Counter, 165 



10 



CONTENTS. 



How to Keep People from Going to Church, 168 



Satan and Sensuality, 180 

The Bondage of Sin, 187 

The Saloon Devil and Uncle Sam, 191 

Let Us Alone, 198 

The Hobby Factory, . 208 

Preaching at the Bridge, 215 

Where the Devil Need Not Preach, 225 

Till All Comes Eight, 228 

Two Kinds of Eiches, 230 

Satan on Atheism, 234 

Heaven and Hell, 244 

Sermons on Preaching, 247 

Sermons on Prayer by Satan and Members of 

His Cabinet, 260 

Satan's Sermon on Jonah, . . 270 

Satan's Views on Swearing, 278 

Seven Sermons by Members of the Devil's 

Cabinet, , 282 

The Devil's Last Song, ................... 303 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



HALF TONE. 



Attempt at Suicide on the Bridge, 23 

The Eiver of Life, 25 

The Saloon-Keeper's Death-bed Experience 

with Satan and His Imps, 51 

The Death of the Christian, 52 

The Cripple's Entrance to the Eich Man's 

Palace, 85 

Satan in Artful Disguise, leading a Host on 

the Monotonous Eounds of Sin, 86 

Satan's Unsuccessful Attempt on the Path of 

Purity, 121 

Miss Pilgrim's Encounter with Satan in a 

Hobgoblin Form, 122 

Miss Pilgrim Entering the Gate of Heaven, 141 
The Farmer at the Decisive Point Turning a 
Deaf Ear to Satan and Heeding the Advice 

of the Angel of Light, 142 

Satan on the Path of Sensuality,, 185 

The Eich Young Man Blindly Clinging to His 

Burdens, . 186 

Satan's Orchestra at the Bridge of Destruc- 
tion, 223 

Satan Enjoying His Ease in the Spiritually 
Sleeping Church, 224 



14 HALF TONE. 

The Operatic Scene of the Seven Great Devils 

in their Famous Speeches, 301 

Satan Bound at Last in the Bottomless Pit, 302 



PEN DRAWINGS. 



The Bich Man's Messenger Meeting the Beg- 
gar, 74 

The Widow Invited to the Supper in the 

King's Palace, . 76 

The Woman Who Heeded the Advice of Her 

Three Neighbors, 78 

The Young Man's Excuse, 80 

The Three Stages of Prostitution, 117 

Moral Training and Satan's Free Lunches of 

Advice, 164 

Uncle Sam Protecting the Saloon, u . 190 

Christ Commanding the Devil to Come Out 

of the Man, 200 

The Devil White-washing Sinners, 289 



Satan was making earnest efforts to persuade a 
certain man to commit suicide. He tempted him at 
midnight as far as the center of the bridge, and as 
the man hesitated to spring into the water, Satan 
continued speaking: 

"I congratulate you as you stand here on the 
very edge of genuine happiness. If you have suf- 
ficient courage, you will soon enter into perfect 
peace. Look down upon the sweet waters, and see 
how they invite you to the most peaceful kind of a 
death. They promise to cover all your cares and 
troubles, and put you to sleep on the bosom of the 
deep."" 

A good angel interrupted these temptations of 
Satan : 

"Spring not from this bridge, for such an act 
will bring no relief to your poor soul. It would 
be the opening of the door through which you 
would enter to experience deeper sorrows and grief 
more terrible. Listen no longer to the voice that 
points you toward the pangs of death." 
2 



18 



SATAN'S SERMON TO A SUICIDE. 



The words of the angel touched the heart of the 
man and they seemed to draw him away, but Satan 
again quickly spoke : 

" Don't be a coward. Have you not found that 
the best joys of this life are worthless, and that 
your troubles are so great that you can no longer 
bear them? Why be so foolish as to continue under 
this load, to live on in misery and wretchedness? 
You have gone thus far towards peace, and now 
one plunge from the bridge will end all your woes. ' ' 

Again the angel insisted : 

"Nay! nay! be not so foolhardy. Before you 
lies not only the dark waters, but the judgment bar 
of God. If you listen and heed the voice- of Satan, 
you are responsible for the result of listening. You 
cannot plead any excuse for self-murder, inasmuch 
as God has sent me, as one of his angels, to warn 
you while the warmth of life is yet yours. Return 
to your tasks ; face your situation ; forsake sin and 
take God into your life, then your troubles will no 
longer seem unsurmountable. By God's help, you 
will be given the best solution of the problem that 
vexes you, and your life will yet be crowned with 
honor and glory. Let God drop life's curtain, but 
do not draw it yourself. ' ' 

These kindly words had a great influence on the 
heart of this man. Once more he was about to turn 



SATAN'S SERMON TO A SUICIDE. 



19 



and walk toward the city, but the enemy with bold 
audacity, again continued his sermon : 

" What can you see ahead of you as you lift your 
eyes? Have you not tried the theatre, and what 
joy can that give! Have you not tried the ways of 
prostitution, and what lasting comfort have you 
found? Have you not tasted of the wine glass, and 
found no satisfying portion! In brief, is it not true 
that everything has failed to give you the peace 
for which you have been vainly sighing? You must 
not be deceived by false voices that call you to 
imaginary peace. Religion is a failure, and you 
need not think of depending upon the church or 
Sunday School for any real comfort. The world 
would be far better off if there were no churches. 
The only work they do is to annoy the consciences 
of people while they live, and in many instances, 
cast a heavy gloom over them in death/ ' The 
Devil paused just a moment and then in a softer 
voice continued : i ' Since all of your prospects are 
like bubbles, why not leap instantly into the waters, 
whose velvety touches shall smooth down all your 
cares and bury you in peace forever ! There is no 
grave like that of the water. Look now upon its 
smiling face and remember that all those silent 
moonlight beckonings are inviting you to the deep- 
est and most sublime comfort. Hesitate no more. 



20 



SATAN'S SERMON TO A SUICIDE. 



Why not carry your whole purpose to a finish? 
There could be nothing sweeter than to fall from 
this bridge. The rest will all follow like the even- 
ing follows noon, or like the bright stars follow the 
heat of a closing day." 

At this the man actually leaned over and was 
looking thoughtfully into the waters below him. 
Then the good angel lovingly entreated him once 
more : 

" Think of your mother and your friends. Look 
at the disgrace you will leave behind you. Remem- 
ber, God, who made the waters, made them not to 
comfort a dying man. There is no peace to be 
found in such a manner of ending life. Empty 
your mind of these vain delusions which I assure 
you are but temptations from the Devil. If you 
heed his voice you will find, when it is too late, 
that you will be in the power of the very wretch 
who now seeks your ruin. ,, . 

Then did the Devil whisper a few long sentences 
so low that no one could hear but the listener. It 
was a terrible temptation playing upon the man in 
his weakness. It was his purpose to heed the voice 
of the good angel, but he somehow felt that he was 
being drawn away from the light that was trying 
to enter his soul, and so, in the desperation that 
was born of this thought, he seized his enemy as if 



SATAN'S SERMON TO A SUICIDE. 



21 



in bodily conflict, and taking advantage of the ad- 
vice previously given to him by the angel, he called 
upon God for help. After a sharp decisive strug- 
gle Satan was pushed off of the bridge, but it seem- 
ed as if he did not fall into the water. The man 
quickly turned for he felt a saving hand upon him, 
and to his happiness he found that the angel had 
not let go of him during all the conflict. Never did 
any creature seem so beautiful as the angel appear- 
ed to him at that moment. He had conquered in 
the conflict, and next he breathed out his petition on 
the midnight air that God might help him through 
the troubles that had almost overwhelmed him. 
His prayer was answered and over the wrecks of a 
wasted life he reared a building of character and 
wealth that he humbly dedicated to the unseen God. 

It is sad to relate that not all of the sons and 
daughters of the human race conquer Satan when 
they are subjected to the terrible temptations of 
self destruction. 



Every inward voice or suggestion 
that urges a man to self-destruction 
is born of Satan. Look at the picture 
and see how the Black Demon points 
downward. He is urging the man to 
find comfort in suicide. That is the 
best recipe that Satan and infidelity 
can offer to a person who is over- 
whelmed with trouble. Let such a one 
turn a deaf ear to Satan's temptation 
and listen to the Angel of Light who 
will point him to the Son of Righte- 
ousness by day and the Star of Hope 
by night. 



22 




Then the Devil whispered a few long sentences, urging the 
man to commit suicide, and the good angel once more 
endeavored to draw the man away. 



&*ntuma 



3i 



The river of life rises at the gate of Heaven and 
empties into the ocean of Death. At the age of ac- 
countability each individual is launched into the 
stream about midway, and he must either drift with 
the current downward or work against it upward. 
The river flows with different degrees of rapidity 
as you go from the shore toward its center. The 
chief end of human life is for one to struggle 
against the natural currents and push his way far- 
ther and farther up the stream toward Heaven and 
Success. 

It is very easy to move with the current. Idle- 
ness is a drifting toward death. There are many 
things along the banks of this river to attract at- 
tention, so that by looking intently toward the 
shore, no one will realize that he is surely drifting 
toward the black waters of Destruction. It is the 
purpose of Satan to engage one's thought in any 
manner whatever so as to keep his hands from ply- 
ii : the oars against the stream. 

Happy the person who refuses to give his time 



26 



SERMONS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. 



and his thought to the lightsome attractions along 
the way, or to the inward temptations that are di- 
rectly prompted by Satan. It must be remembered 
that if anything good is to be obtained in this life, 
one cannot get it without an eff ort. There are 
plenty of good things up the river. The farther 
you travel upward, the more beautiful are the 
flowers along the banks, and the more wholesome 
fruits can be plucked from the branches overhang- 
ing the stream. Also in those higher places, there 
are cool and shady inlets where one may rest in 
peace on the pure waters, in the beauty of the fresh 
and balmy air. 

But strange to say, there are comparatively few 
who are willing to make a sacrifice in order to 
reach these happy places farther up the stream. 
Some pride themselves by saying that they are as 
good as certain other people, but it happens that 
those other people are slowly drifting down stream. 
One should not find satisfaction in making the 
same progress that somebody else is making who is 
drifting down toward the ocean of Death. 

Far down this stream, the waters become dark 
and filthy and the climate is sickening, but they 
who are drifting past the lowlands become accus- 
tomed to the climate and really do not seem to 
know that they are moving in such an unwholesome 
atmosphere. 



SERMONS ON THE RIVER, OF LIFE. 



27 



In the light of these truths, one can readily see 
how easy it is to sin, even though its consequences 
are hard to bear. Sinning need be nothing more 
than drifting down stream into the poisoned at- 
mosphere where all kinds of impurities exist. The 
end of such a course is spiritual death and all of 
its attached penalties. 

It is possible to obtain good things in our natural 
life by inheritance or in some other way that costs 
us no labor, but on the mighty river of life you 
must not think that you can go up stream by luck. 
It is your duty to pull the oars against the current, 
and if your arms are weak, you will get all needed 
strength. " Man's extremity is God's opportun- 
ity." If you have a poor boat or a poor pair of 
oars, Heaven asks no more of you than the best 
you can do, after which, strange to say, your cum- 
bersome bark will make remarkable progress up 
stream. 

It may be true that some will pass you even up 
the stream, but do not become faint-hearted. Not 
,always those who travel with rapid spurts make the 
most progress in the end. Some who bend their en- 
ergies with all diligence for a season, are suddenly 
attracted and give their attention to some object of 
peculiar interest, and lo, their boat goes drifting 
again down stream. 



28 



SERMONS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. 



The humble, faithful worker in his effort to 
travel up stream will naturally meet with many op- 
positions, but if he is persistent and surrender to 
no temptation, he will surely come to the place 
where rowing is less difficult and where the imme- 
diate banks will give him better subjects for re- 
flection. By and by he will be called from the 
stream of life to take up his residence in the Celes- 
tial City. 

As you study the condition of life on this won- 
derful river it is hard to believe that there could be 
anybody whose main object would be to urge peo- 
ple to travel down stream. This is the work that 
Satan is doing with all his power. He is constant- 
ly advancing false arguments to persuade all 
classes of people to take life easy as far as spiritual 
matters are concerned. The companies who are 
traveling down stream will aggregate into the mil- 
lions. 

It is a common sight to see the 
Devil flattering a young man who 
finds that the natural current is too 
slow for him. Satan tells such a man 
to ply his oars down stream, and one 
is horrified to see with what rapidity 
the young man is rushing ahead toward his de- 
struction. In his madness he acts as if he wishes 



A HORRIBLE 
SERMON 
PREACHED 
TO A 
YOUNG MAN 



SERMONS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. 29 

to see the whole program of sin as soon as possi- 
ble. What does he care for warning voices? He 
sings a jolly song and shuts his ears to every loving 
cry as he feasts his sensual eyes upon the moral 
impurities along the way. The Devil laughs at 
him while others weep. 

And then perchance, as he dashes ahead in his 
reckless course, his hooked boat will take hold of 
another and drag its occupant on towards the same 
destruction. If his comrade is not willing to take 
his same pace down stream, he will either urge 
him against his will, or will cast him off as one who 
is tied to his mother's apron strings. Such a reck- 
less youth will always find women who will equal 
him in his terrible career downward. Amongst this 
blind class of people there are not a few who be- 
come so hardened in sin that they deliberately 
throw their oars away, thus throwing away their 
best chance of traveling against the current. Such 
a person is just as foolish as a bird who would cut 
off its wings because it felt tired after taking a 
long flight. 

I saw one young man in his extremity who not 
only threw away his oars, but pounded at the very 
bottom of his boat until it sprang a leak so that he 
was drawn down to a watery grave. 



30 



SERMONS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. 



I saw on this same river of life an- 
other boat carrying a few pleasure 
seekers. Those on board had their 
minds so wrapt up in the enjoyments 
of this life that they paid no attention 
to the more serious duties of reaching 
success. Satan gladly improved the opportunity 
of occupying a seat on this same boat and steering 
it. He knew just where to steer the boat so that 
they would be farther away from the missionary 
voices that were ever calling in order to save souls 
from a downward life of sin. There was a Hellish 
smile that played upon the face of the grim mon- 
ster as he noticed the thoughtlessness and frivolity 
of those on board. Satan offers to steer any craft 
free of charge, but the price is often so great that 
one becomes bankrupt when he tries to settle the 
bill. The deception of Satan is unspeakable and he 
is mean enough to get others to point the finger 
of scorn at a person who may be struggling hard 
against the current in order to reach Heaven and 
success. 

I was indeed glad that I was priv- 
ileged to see on this same river one of 
the nobler characters who occupied a 
humble boat. He was striving with 
all reasonable effort to push his boat 
up stream^ and in this noble work he 



A DEATHLY 
SERMON 

PREACHED 
BY 
ACTIONS 



A GLIMPSE 
OF THE 
ANGEL 
AND THE 
CROWN 



SEEMONS ON THE RIVEE OF LIFE. 



31 



was opposed by the imps of Hell and by a number 
of companions who called him foolish for not tak- 
ing in the sights farther down the stream. His 
purpose was fixed, and no one could swerve him 
from his course even though a score or more tried 
to shipwreck the young man. His heart was thrill- 
ed with joy because he was in touch with the wish 
of the infinite mind. And more than that there was 
an angel who was sent to crown him with one of 
those kind of crowns that all good people get before 
they reach Heaven. One is not compelled to wait 
until he reaches the gate of Heaven before his joy 
begins. As mentioned before, there are unspeak- 
able pleasures along the stream of life to those who 
continue ever upward, and the angels are always 
interested in the progress such a one is making. 

The names of the two oars are Faith and Works. 
If these are both worked together, effective work 
can be done. No one can make any progress up 
stream if he fails to use either one of these oars. 
There are quite a few pilgrims who are led to think 
that faith is of more consequence than works and 
others who believe that works is more important 
than faith. Such people make very blundering 
progress by working one oar more than the other. 
They go swinging around in circles and strike 
against shore at the wrong places. Thus in this 



a2 SERMONS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. 

roundabout manner the chances are that the cur- 
rent will somewhat carry them downward, to say 
nothing of the spectacle they present to those who 
are looking on. 

I heard the Devil preaching a little 
sermon to an earnest Christian whose 
mind was biased toward faith. He 
told the Christian that faith was 
everything, and that works count for 
nothing as far as spiritual progress 
is concerned. "It all depends upon what a man 
believes and not so much what he does, whether he 
will ever reach Heaven. ' ' That does not mean that 
a man can commit evil deeds with impunity and not 
suffer for it, but it simply teaches that the heart 
must be right in its belief and that that alone will 
count for righteousness. If you would be a power 
in the world let me urge you to accept and teach 
this doctrine most gladly, so that others who are 
in the dark, and who are constantly worrying about 
their works may be brought into the full light. 

The very same day that I heard the Devil preach- 
ing this little sermon on the great importance of 
faith, I heard him preach another little sermon in 
which he put works on top. He was speaking to a 
good woman who was making fair progress against 
the current. In some way he attracted her atten- 



SATAN'S 
SERNON 
ON 

FAITH AND 
WORKS 



SERMONS ON THE RIVER OF LIFE. 33 

tion long enough to plant his evil thoughts into her 
mind. 

"My dear Christian friend, " he urged, "it is 
almost impossible for a person to know what is the 
true nature of faith, and this being true, I would 
urge you to cease worrying over this subject, and 
see to it that you do good works. If you give 
proper attention to the latter, then happiness and 
progress will smile upon you more than ever. 
After all the most important thing in life is good 
works. Follow this advice and be happy. ' ' 

The woman who always had some difficulty in 
understanding faith was very glad to hear this doc- 
trine again brought to her attention even though 
she had often heard it before. She was anxious to 
follow this new advice and consequently she com- 
menced to work the oar called Works. You well 
know what happened, and as the boat swung in a 
circle she made herself believe that this was an im- 
proved way of making progress. She tried to ex- 
ercise pity toward those who were wise enough 
to make use of both oars. It then occurred to my 
mind that the worst conceit in ;he world is that 
which makes a person believe that his religious 
ideas are better than those of any other people who 
are trying to do right. 

It would be a long story if we were to tell the 



34 



SERMONS ON RIVER OF LIFE. 



principal happenings on this famous river. Your 
heart would be filled with rapturous delight if we 
were to describe the manner in which the travelers 
are received after they have reached the end of 
their upward journey. Heaven and Success are 
awaiting many more who are pushing up stream. 
This is the bright part of the whole scene. 

But it would be impossible for us to describe the 
extremely horrible condition of things as you go 
to the lower end of the stream, neither could we re- 
late the untold horrors of the ocean of spiritual 
death which is a receptacle of all the filth and slime 
of sin and sinners. 

Each human being is somewhere on this river, 
either drifting downward toward the one extreme 
or rowing upward toward the gates of the Eternal 
City. Such a thing as remaining stationary on this 
river is unthinkable, although many who imagine 
that they are continuing about the same, do not 
realize that they are actually floating downward. 



£>ntm 



Preached along the pathway of life to those who 
give heed. 

Along the pathway of life there are scattered a 
large number of beautiful buildings with costly 
furnishings. These are supplied with little pet 
snakes of sin, which can be had, free of charge, by 
all who are willing to accept them. 

Certain snakes are kept on exhibition, and as 
they lie in their beautiful glass cases, they present 
a handsome appearance. They have neat ribbon 
bows tied around their necks, and certain sides of 
the boxes are lined with satin. In front of one of 
these buildings I heard a man calling out : 

' i Come this way ! come this way ! all ye who hear 
my voice. We have on exhibition some beautiful 
bosom pets. If you take one now, while it is young 
and small, you can train it to your liking, and I 
will assure you that you will not only have a novel 
pet, but that you will be safe from its poison for- 
ever. ' ' 

A certain young man, who was passing near by, 
B '. 





Small sins grow like small serpents, and if not conquered, 
will take their victims down to death. 



A SERPENT SERMON. 



37 



was attracted to the place, and with suspicion, he 
glanced at the curious little pets. 

" Are these not deadly snakes that you offer?" 

"Ha! ha!" laughed the Evil One, "that is what 
some people call them, but I assure you that you 
need not fear them. If you take to your bosom one 
of these beautiful so-called deadly pets, you will 
not only be free from danger but it will give new 
warmth to your heart as you hold it there. ' ' 

"I don't like the appearance of the pets," com- 
mented the young man. 

' 6 Perhaps the appearance of some may shock you 
a little at first, but if you will look over the whole 
assortment, you will find one that will suit your 
fancy altogether. ' ' 

Then the wicked fiend spoke very fluently about 
the effect that these little charmers had on the pres- 
ent life. His words were making a favorable im- 
pression on the young man, who considered himself 
proof against all forms of temptation. Strange to 
say, the very snake that had impressed him so hor- 
ribly a short time before, now fascinated him al- 
together. He stood as if charmed by the little ser- 
pent that the black agent held coiled in his hand. 

"This is my choice," said the young man who 
willingly agreed to pay the price, which was noth- 



38 



A SEEPENT SERMON. 



ing more than his promise to give it a place above 
his heart. 

The young man carried the little serpent in his 
breast and allowed it to feed upon his heart's blood. 
The snake grew so slowly that the owner did not 
realize with what increasing danger it was sapping 
his life's energies. He was unconsciously nursing 
an enemy, and thereby inviting his own ruin and 
death. The serpent had now grown large enough 
that it could playfully wrap itself around the arm 
or waist of the young man. 

In the course of time the foolish young man saw 
very clearly that if he would not conquer the ser- 
pent that the serpent would conquer him. So he 
resolved to shake the serpent off or kill it in the at- 
tempt. He never realized until then how it had 
fastened itself upon his very vitals, and that he was 
powerless in his own strength to overcome the en- 
emy. A long and terrible battle was fought. The 
serpent swung itself mightily in the great battle and 
the young man, in desperation, seized it and tried 
to crush it with his hands or stamp it with his feet. 
The serpent was more than a match for the youth, 
who called out mightily for help, and in response to 
his pleadings a good angel came to him and said: 

" Let Christ into your heart and he will destroy 
the deadly serpent of sin and will make you free 
again. ' ' 



A SEEPENT SEEMON. 



39 



To these welcome words the young man gave 
heed and was almost persuaded to accept Christ 
when Satan, robed like an angel, stole to his side 
and whispered : 

" Don't be foolish, young man. You must not 
expect to find help from some outside power, you 
are fully able to help yourself. Since you are 
blessed with a strong mind of your own, why go 
begging like a little child for help! Is it not more 
honorable to die like a hero fighting your own bat- 
tle, than to be a weakling or a coward?" 

"But I will be forever lost, if I don't get rid of 
this sin. I cannot conquer it myself, for I have al- 
ready spent all my energy in trying to do so." 

Then Satan tempted him another way by appeal- 
ing to his pride, and after that by trying to frighten 
him. But all these proved futile, and the young 
man turned to the better angel and to Christ who is 
able to deliver. His repentance and confession 
brought down the power that destroyed the serpent, 
and the young man rejoiced greatly in his freedom. 




' ip?' duty to so conduct his af- 

fairs as to make it pay. A business man has the 
right to perform certain tricks which in them- 
selves are perfectly proper, even though the world 
or the church may condemn them. People who are 
not in business do not fully understand how many 
intricate problems there are to solve and how 
many little trials there are to bear. ' ' 

"To state the whole matter briefly, I would say 
that a soft, tender conscience and a wide-awake 
business man make poor companions. If you wish 
to succeed in business you must observe the fol- 
lowing rules : 

I. "Learn to prevaricate without lying.' ' 

"Prevarication is pleasing to the people and 
without it you will have a disappointed class of 



SATAN'S BUSINESS ADVICE. 41 

customers. It is certain that people expect you to 
shade the truth a little, or they would not ask such 
foolish questions most every time they come to pur- 
chase. If you are selling an article worth one dol- 
lar, the customer is pleased if you tell him that it is 
worth two dollars. He is not particular whether 
you are telling the truth or not. All he cares about 
is that he can tell his friends that he is wearing an 
article worth two dollars." 

2. "Become expert in the use of * bluff.' " 
"Bluff is the most modem way of lying without 

violating the law. In purchasing goods you can so 
talk that the manufacturer will believe that you 
can buy cheaper elsewhere. If you put these bluffs 
at him in a modern style, it may compel him to 
yield, and perchance you may clear several dollars 
in your deal. ' ' 

3. "You must learn to make heavy profits wher- 
ever you can. ' ' 

"Your policy should be to get for an article 
what you can and not what is right. You will find 
that before you are through with your business ca- 
reer that you need all the margins that it is possible 
for you to make. You should, as quickly as pos- 
sible, have a reserve fund so as to be prepared for 
any emergency." 



42 



SATAN'S ^BUSINESS ADVICE. 



4. "You must learn the art of adulteration and 
make use of this knowledge to best advantage. ' ' 

5. "In order to avoid competition form a mo- 
nopoly if possible." 

"This is the great secret of large business suc- 
cess. You could not expect to become a power in 
the business world so long as you are hampered 
with a lot of small trade centers, each one doing a 
business similar to your own. The motto of the 
age is : Combine interests, either drown out or buy 
out the small firms, and get a full control of the line 
of business which you represent. Do not allow the 
cries of a weak reformer or a nervous public to 
make you believe that this is wrong. You must 
stick to the policy that anything is right that you 
can do and escape from the civil law. ' ' 



Hustons A!mto 

When one studies the methods of Satan in the 
business world he is strongly impressed with the 
numberless ways in which dishonesty and decep- 
tion are practiced under a cloak of righteousness. 
Satan says with a show of boldness that "A tender 
conscience and a wide-awake business man make 
poor companions.' ' This is a false statement and 
is only believed by the man or woman whose con- 




A EEPLY TO SATAN'S BUSINESS ADVICE. 43 

science has already been warped. In business or in 
any other vocation the only way to reach real suc- 
cess is by the way of honesty. It is true that a ras- 
cal may endure for a season, and heap unto himself 
great wealth and thus appear to enjoy the highest 
success in life, but all this will prove in the end a 
curse to him. 

The majority of those who fail in business are 
not the conscientious men, but those who have had 
their ears open, more or less, to Satan's business 
advice. We have a sure word of prophecy that 
rings out the following note: "As the partridge 
sitteth on her eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he 
that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave 
them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall 
be a fool.'' Jer. 17-11. 

Satan gives a few rules which he claims must be 
observed if one would wish to reach success in bus- 
iness. The first one is "Learn to prevaricate with- 
out lying." This is only another way of saying, 
learn to tell a falsehood without lying. The only 
safe way in business is to tell the truth. By doing 
so, you may occasionally lose a sale or a customer 
but your loss will be your gain. Your truthful 
qualities will lift you gradually to a substantial 
throne of honor. 

"Bluff" is the refuge of the hypocrite. There 
are times when one has a right to pass off a pleas- 
antry or an innocent joke, but whenever anything 
of this kind is used to cover real facts in a business 
deal, then it changes to the color of a lie. 



44 A REPLY TO SATAN'S BUSINESS ADVICE. 

In the third advice given by Satan there is a pe- 
culiar mingling of truth and error and it is in such 
kinds of arguments that Satan ripens the mind for 
greater error. It is not always right to get what 
you can for a commodity. There is a difference be- 
tween might and right and there are thousands 
who take advantage of situations especially in mo- 
nopolizing, and by getting what they can they get 
considerably more than what is right or just. There 
is no rule in business so precious as the Golden 
Eule. 

One need not resort to unlawful adulteration or 
to any other type of illegal or unrighteous actions. 
This is the Devil's pathway of success down to 
eternal destruction. If you are honest and right- 
eous to your full ability, you will enjoy the peace 
of a clear conscience through all your business 
years, and in the evening of life you will have pre- 
cious meditations and the sweetest reflections. And 
most glorious of all when your eyes close to this 
life, Eternity will dawn with a full radiance of im- 
mortal glory and you will be receiving your re- 
ward forever. 



i 



NOTE: The following' incident is taken from actual life. It 
is no imaginary sketch or fanciful picture. The author is 
not sure whether it was a case of delirium tremens or not. 

Satan appeared to a saloon-keeper who was ly- 
ing in great stress npon his deathbed, and spoke 
to him as follows : 

"Let me give yon one more sermon, old fellow, 
before yon reach yonr reward. Yon have done a 
noble service. Yon have served me well, and snre- 
ly I will not forsake yon in this honr of death. Yon 
need not become frightened at my presence. Come ! 
come ! stop yonr agitations, ' ' continned the Devil, 
"yon need not be alarmed." 

"Oh horrors! oh horrors!" shrieked the poor 
man, "wonld to God that I conld have a new lease 
of life! How can I go ont into this darkness 
alone?" 

"I will be with yon to hold yonr hand, and lead 
yon to yonr reward, ' ' assnred the Devil. 

Then the poor wretch tried to concentrate his 



46 



DEATH OF A SALOON-KEEPER. 



thoughts on noble things, but his sins arose before 
him like mountains, and he could review their ter- 
rors before his eyes. 

"0! what shall I do with my sins; my awful 
sins ; my many, many sins i 1 ' he groaned aloud. 

"Trouble yourself not, forget about them and be 
at peace," came the voice of Satan, whose real form 
was now gradually unfolding itself to the dying 
man, at which the saloon-keeper shrank back upon 
his pillow and lifted his bony ringers in terror. 

"Keep back! keep back! come no nearer," con- 
tinued his heart-breaking appeals. Satan and his 
imps continued to advance and they all tried to look 
as beautiful as possible. But they could no longer 
mask themselves. The struggling man tried to find 
rest by fastening his eyes elsewhere. But the ter- 
rible visage of Satan was so appalling, that he 
could not take his eyes therefrom. 

Death drew still nearer and the struggle of the 
unfortunate man became more intense. He made 
one last effort to seek refuge somewhere, but just 
at that moment, each one of the little company of 
imps presented his claim. This so distracted the 
mind of the man that his actions were similar to a 
raving maniac. 

' i I claim your love, ' ' demanded the first imp. 

"And I claim your time," demanded another, 



DEATH OF A SALOON-KEEPER. 



47 



whose grinning countenance was most terrible to 
behold. 

"I demand your attention,' ' spoke a third in a 
tone most grinding and severe. 

' ' I demand your talents throughout all eternity, ' ■ 
spoke the most horrible imp of all the company. 

"And I demand your sacrifices to be given will- 
ingly in the kingdom to come, ' ' cried out another. 

And still another in mockery said: "I demand 
your service,' ' but before the imp had finished his 
words, Satan himself cried out, "I demand your 
soul, your life, your all." At this saying the imps 
formed a cordon around the bed, and the miserable 
man crouched anew at their uncanny movements. 

He had been sick for many weeks and refused 
nearly all food. He had so fallen away in flesh that 
scarcely anything but skin lay over his bones. His 
eyes were sunken and he presented an awful ap- 
pearance as he was struggling in a terrible effort 
to escape from the cordon of imps. 

He sprang back against the head-board of the 
bed, lifting his bony fingers like claws, as he 
screamed out: "Take them away! take them 
away!" His cries were so horrible that no one 
could remain in the room with him, even his wife 
was compelled to leave and not one of his old chums 
could stand so terrible a picture of death. Some 



48 



DEATH OF A SALOON-KEEPEK. 



one hastened to the home of a minister in the mid- 
night hour, and urged him to come up at once to 
the hotel, and pray with the dying man. The min- 
ister hastily dressed and with Bible in hand, soon 
entered the hotel and noticed the terror-stricken 
people all around, who begged him to go into the 
next room and do what he could for the poor man. 
The situation tested the courage of the minister, 
for as he approached the room, he heard the un- 
earthly shrieks of the dying man, and upon opening 
the door, found that all had deserted the room. He 
prayed for courage, and thus strengthened he walk- 
ed with a steady tread up to the bedside of the man, 
and opened his Bible before him. Suddenly there 
was a calm, and for the first time in many hours, 
the poor wretch sank down upon his pillow in quiet- 
ness. 

At this sudden turn, some ventured into the 
room and all stood as still as death, and the dying 
man lay motionless, as the minister read from the 
word of God and spoke to him. It seemed that 
even the devils dared not advance farther while the 
Word of God was being uttered in their hearing. 

The minister, after a long conference, found that 
nothing more could be done and was compelled to 
go. After he had left the room, the same terrible 
scenes followed. The poor wretch continuously 



DEATH OF A SALOON-KEEPER. 



49 



cried out in anguish and in the pathos of appeal- 
ing: "Take them away! keep them back!" No 
one could check the march of the very devils that 
were advancing to claim their own, and not being 
able to remain in the room they all forsook him 
again. 

All this terrible tragedy continued until the poor 
body of the dying man left go of its spirit, which, 
seemed to satisfy this pack of demons, like a piece 
of flesh quiets a pack of pursuing wolves. 



4 



If a person is prepared to meet 
death he can pass out of this life in 
mighty triumph, but what can be 
more terrible than the death of the 
wicked? To such death comes in its 
worst features. Some may not die 
with shrieks of terror on their lips, 
but their inward pangs cannot be de- 
scribed. The picture on the opposite 
page does not exaggerate the horri- 
ble experiences of some who have re- 
jected God through life. The Evil 
Spirits can be seen best when the cur- 
tain of mortality is falling. The only 
way to a happy death is by a righte- 
ous life. 



50 




"The saloon-keeper shrank back upon his pillow and lifted 
his bony fingers in terror. xxx satan and his 
imps continue to advance, and they all tried to look 
as beautiful as possible." 



'The sweet angels carried him in abounding triumph above 
the enemy's reach, where his liberated soul could hear 
the music of the spheres and the choirs invisible." 



Satan knows that it pays to preach a sermon to 
one. He clings to the proverb: ' 6 Handpicked 
fruit is the choicest." He crowded his way to the 
side of a dying man, and tried to interject his 
deathly sentences. 

"At last the long-looked-for event is at hand. 
You are now entering the dark shadows of death, 
and will find that your Christian faith is worthless 
in this hour of your greatest need. Religion may 
be good enough to live by, but it is a poor staff 
upon which to lean at such a time as this. Death 
and religion can no more mix than oil and water. 
The imaginary power of Christ to save you, may 
be a comfort to you in the ordinary days of life, but 
in the presence of so stern a reality as death, it is 
of no avail. Therefore you have prayed and 
served in vain, and I urge you to forsake God as 
you feel the effects of this terrible darkness creep- 
ing upon you. ' ' 

"Paul may have cried out, '0 death, where is 



4 



54 SEKMON TO A DYING CHEISTIAN. 

thy sting.' Any man could talk that way when 
he was so far away from death as Paul was. Let 
me assure you that there is a sting to death, so 
sharp that no one can evade its pangs. The rich- 
est of all the earth, with the poorest, have alike 
shared its stings. If the graves could open their 
mouths, they would speak dark words to you more 
convincing than any of the arguments that I could 
put forth. ' ' 

Then the dying man, feeling the dark breath of 
temptation upon him, shouted out in clear words : 
" Stand back, ye demons of darkness. Make room 
for the coming King and his angels.' ' But Satan 
refused to move an inch. He stood defiantly and 
with a show of boldness spake again : 

"I have a claim upon you, and you must not 
think that you can push me away so lightly. What 
care I for a convoy of angels or your so-called 
Master. All such nonsense is only an outgrowth 
of your diseased imagination. Listen to me and 
stop this wild dreaming and these foolish actions. 
Why stand on such a flimsy foundation when you 
are in need of a rock? Once more I urge you to 
forsake your God, your Christ, your Bible and 
your experience, and I will reward you a thousand 
times more by and by. ' 9 



SERMON TO A DYING CHRISTIAN. 



55 



Then, from one unseen, came the words softly 
but in tones of deep assurance : 

''Yea, though I walk through the valley of the 
shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art 
with me, they rod and thy staff they comfort me." 

The dying man was strengthened by these sweet 
sentences, and without fear he commanded the 
tempter: ' ' Away from me, you deceiver. I will 
triumph through the blood of the Lamb and in the 
name of Him who holds the keys of Death and 
Hell. ,, 

"I will not away until my claim is settled, " 
stoutly declared the enemy. 

" Again I say stand back. You are a Devil, a 
robber, a liar, full of all subtlety. If you will not 
go at my words, I now command you to leave me 
in the name of Jesus Christ my Redeemer.' ' 

At this Satan drew his foul length to one side 
only to make room for a hideous monster called 
Death, who by its awful presence, hoped to at- 
tract the attention of the dying man from his 
faith. 

"What terrible creature is this?" gasped the 
dying man in his weakening breath. 

"This is death itself," answered Satan in 
threatening tones, "and be assured that nothing 
like the faith of religion can overcome its pres- 



56 SERMON TO A DYING CHRISTIAN. 



ence. I command yon once more to forsake your 
religion and yonr God and trnst yourself to me." 

Then did the dying man lift his eyes of faith 
steadfastly above, just as death would have sent its 
sharp sting into his soul. Happy was the man to 
find that he was covered with a shield that not only 
kept away the stings, but also hid the form of the 
terrible monster. Then came a flood of light from 
the celestial world, which revealed to him a new 
vision of his blessed Eedeemer who had conquered 
Death, Hell and the Grave. 

This same Eedeemer with his outstretched 
hand touched the dying saint upon the head, and 
filled him with glory unspeakable. As the Chris- 
tian breathed his last breath, he felt a dull thud 
of the enemy's attack, but it struck no more than 
the shield behind which he was safe forever. 
Christ caught him away from the darksome shad- 
ows, and the sweet angels carried him in abound- 
ing triumph above the enemy's reach where his 
liberated soul could hear the music of the spheres 
and the choirs invisible. 




"What. a blessed creature you are 
that fortune has smiled upon you so 



Subject: The disgrace of having children. 



graciously. In the possession of so much wealth 
you have the noblest thing in life, for it is 
the means whereby everything else can be se- 
cured, and is indeed the secret of all true happi- 
ness. Money is power, and the absence of it causes 
dependence, misery and a long list of humiliating 
conditions. ' ' 

"But of what use is your wealth if you do not 
allow it to bring you the greatest amount of hap- 
piness? If you would be true to society, and most 
sensible to yourself, you will see to it that in all 
your married life you will not be cursed with 
children. Let others, who are less fortunate than 
you, bear such burdens. You need all your time 
to fulfill your engagements, which are more nu- 
merous and more important by reason of your 
wealth. Disregard all this foolish talk about the 



58 PREACHING TO A SOCIETY W OMAN. 

inevitable yearning for motherhood, and hold 
your grand receptions and take your seasonable 
excursions and be ready at all times to enjoy the 
high and medium art of the stage. ' ' 

"Why should your diamonds and your silks be 
idle for many months just for the purpose of hav- 
ing a child of your own, especially in these days 
when beautiful poodle dogs can be had for a mere 
song. Such creatures will not compel you to re- 
main at home when you have a desire to go any- 
where. ' ' 

"If, in the hour of your weakness, you should 
crave for a cooing smile from a child of your own, 
or should wish to enjoy the thrill of two baby eyes 
looking into your own, you must remember that 
these are blind calls of nature to which your sensi- 
tive heart need not give heed. You must learn as 
early in life as possible to be your own mistress 
and let judgment instead of sentiment control 
you. ? ' 

"You can comfort yourself with the thought that 
the God of earth and Heaven has destined you to 
fill one of the noblest places in the society of earth. 
The real truth of the whole matter is this: the 
bearing of children is an eternal disgrace, but in 
order to comfort the women who impose upon 
themselves this condition^ the poets and philoso- 



PREACHING TO A SOCIETY WOMAN. 59 

phers have lauded the mother with her children. 
Surely you need not share in the disgrace since 
you are enlightened, and since you have abund- 
ant wealth to keep you employed profitably all the 
time. ' ' 

SOME THINGS SATAN FORGOT TO PUT INTO THIS 

SERMON. 

1. He forgot to tell this woman that the history 
of all ages proves that the disgrace rests upon the 
one in wedlock who refuses motherhood. 

2. He forgot to tell her that if she heeded his 
doctrine her life would drift into an emptiness 
which nothing in the world could fill. 

3. He also forgot to mention that all her wealth 
could not satisfy the instincts of human nature. 
The mother and the babe form a perfect pair, and 
each one needs the other to reach the highest hap- 
piness. 





At last the Devil has succeeded 
establishing certain churches, 
wherein his np-to-date business 
methods are employed. He claims that the 
church that offers religion at the lowest prices, 
and throws out the best inducements other- 
wise, will be patronized the most. Some churches 
agree to let people have religion for $10 a year, 
more or less. In these kinds of churches a person 
can do as he pleases, providing he is a little dis- 
creet about it. The Devil does not always advise 
a man to push his sin into daylight. He rather 
tells him to keep in the dark, and to be careful and 
pay his instalments to the church regularly. 

As you look into some of the worldly churches 
and see what splendid offers they are making, you 
are not surprised that Satan is getting a foothold 
to an alarming extent. Wherever he is allowed, 
he stands behind the curtains, giving his inspira- 
tion and advice to all who will give heed. True 
enough there is a ponrnetition in church enter- 



~ PKEACHING BEHIND CUKTAINS. 61 



prises that is born of Heaven, but also, without 
a doubt, there is a rivalry that is prompted by the 
Devil. 

The outgrowth of this unholy rivalry is seen far 
and wide. Much energy is expended so that one 
church may have more prestige than another. To 
accomplish this end, the church is guilty of count- 
less follies and indiscretions, all practiced in the 
name of religion. Under such condifions Satan 
has more than little reason to rejoice. 

Among the church organizations above referred 
to, the competition is somewhat after the fashion 
of business houses along the streets of a city. If 
your mind is unbiased and your eyes sharp 
enough, you can read many of the signs that these 
churches fling to the breeze. They are written in 
a beautiful and unassuming manner, but after 
they are faithfully interpreted into common Eng- 
lish, some of them read as follows: 

Repentance Very Cheap. 
We Will Give You the Latest Kind; 
Better Than Any Other Church Offers 
Apply at the Parsonage 

Faith at Half -Price To-day. 
A Few Remnants of the Old Style Left 



62 



PKEACHING BEHIND CUETAINS. 



Which We Offer Free, 
As We Wish to Make Room for 
The New Styles Just Imported. 

We Have the Finest Church. 
You Will Be 
Just in it 
If You Unite With Us. 

Confession of Christ. 
We Can Point Out to You 
Some New and Easy Ways 
of Satisfying 
The Demands of Christ 
Without Humiliation to Yourself. 

Religion on Easy Terms. 
The Whole Consignment Delivered at Once* 
To be Paid for 

By Monthly Instalments. 
No Other Church Offers an Equal Bargain. 

We Have the Widest Doors. 
You Can Easily Enter Our Church 
With the World Under One Arm 

and Christ Under the Other. 



PREACHING BEHIND CURTAINS. 



We Are Most Liberal on Baptism. 
With or Without Water Will Do. 
Walking Through the Rain Will Anstver. 

As a person sees the inducements offered by the 
church, he begins to understand why some 
churches are doing so little thorough work for the 
Master. Some churches by their actions, seem to 
advertise thus: 

We Have the Finest Pews, 

Cushioned Seats, 

Easy Backs and 
Comfortable in Every Way. 

We Have a Swell Preacher, 
One Who Observes the Styles. 
His Education is "Out of Sight," 
His Manner is Graceful. 
There is No Other Like Him. 

Our Choir is the Finest in the City; 
The Soprano is a Star, 
The Alto Sings Like an Angel, 
The Organist is an Expert Manipulator! 



64 



PREACHING BEHIND CURTAINS. 



The Devil has succeeded in getting some seem- 
ingly good people to advertise their own goodness 
somewhat after the following manner: 

We Are Holy, 
Better Than Other People. 

What We Bo is Bight. 
If You Don't Bo As We Bo, 

Then You Are Wrong. 

I Wear Plain Clothing— 
Much Plainer Than You Wear. 
My Clothing is Pleasing to God. 
If Your Clothing 
Is Not Like My Clothing 
Then You Had Better Make 
a Change. 

I Understand the Bible Very Well- 
Better Than You Bo. 
If Your Opinions Are Bifferent 
From Mine, 
Then You Are Wrong. 



Expressed to a Church-Member who wished to know 
if a lie was ever justifiable. 

"To tell the truth on the subject of lying is 
harder to do than some people imagine, just be- 
cause certain persons believe a lie should not be 
told under any circumstances. If this last view 
were correct, then we would have an easy solution 
of a difficult problem. But when one is anxious 
to give the whole truth on this subject, he will look 
at it from a sensible standpoint, notwithstanding 
how much labor of thought must thereby be ex- 
pended. ' ' 

1 i There are certain times in life when it is right 
to tell a lie. I will therefore satisfy your wishes 
by giving a few instances when a lie is justifiable. ' ' 
1. "When a lie is a harmless one.'' 
"There are many times when you can tell a lie 
that will do a great amount of good and will do 
no harm to the one you tell it. Anybody ought to 
know that under such circumstances it would not 
be wrong to lie. If we had more lying of this kind 



6G 



VIEWS OF SATAN ON LYING. 



there would be more people made happy. How 
foolish a person is to think that he must tell the 
truth even when it results in a great amount of 
suffering, envy or disgrace. Of course, if the lie 
is calculated to do an injury to your neighbor, 
then that gives a new color to the whole situation, 
and you should hesitate at such a time. ' ' 

2. "You have a right to tell a lie if you aim 
thereby to do good to the church or somebody 
else. ' ' 

' ■ To speak the truth at all times will only mean 
that you will be in trouble over half the time. But 
to tell a lie so that good may be done by it will keep 
things running smoothly and peace will prevail. 
In telling a lie be sure to cover your tracks as you 
go so that your lie will be hidden. If your false- 
hood should be discovered it will tend to weaken 
your influence with those whom you know. Re- 
member it is not the lying that hurts a person, it 
is only when the lie is found out. My advice to 
you is to go ahead and make all the plans you can 
for the furthering of anything good in the church 
or outside of the church, and when you find that 
you cannot carry out your plans in an easy natural 
way of truth, then manufacture some lie by which 
you can push your scheme through. In this way 
you can do a great amount of good, and you must 



VIEWS OF SATAN ON LYING. 



67 



give the lie the credit for helping you to success. 
I think you will have no difficulty in seeing this 
point, and hope you will experience no trouble in 
following this advice." 

3. "It is certainly proper to tell a lie if you wish 
to save somebody from a shock or spare him from 
mental anxiety or pain." 

"You will be surprised to know how many peo- 
ple there are who are so squeezed up in a straight 
jacket that their consciences trouble them if they 
tell a lie even as an act of mercy. I met a man a 
short time ago who was sent to break the news to 
a poor mother that her husband was killed. 
When he first reached her, he spoke of her husband 
as being taken ill very suddenly and that he would 
be brought home. After the poor woman was 
nerved to this sad report, he told her still further 
that he feared that he would not be alive until he 
would reach home. Thus by gradual steps he pre- 
pared her mind for the arrival of her dead com- 
panion. After the man had done his work and re- 
turned to his home, his conscience upbraided him 
because he had at first misrepresented the situa- 
tion to the widow. ' ' 

"I will let you form your own conclusion con- 
cerning this case. Now if it is right to cover up 
the truth in such an instance, is it not also right 



68 



VIEWS OF SATAN ON LYING. 



to tell a lie under similar circumstances ! Suppose 
a church-member hears a damaging rumor against 
herself which is being circulated over the whole 
community. I would consider it the act of an 
angel if somebody would tell her that the rumor 
is without any foundation whatever, and that it 
was never started as it is now being circulated. 
Suppose a husband has been unfaithful to his wife, 
would it not be perfectly proper for some one to 
tell a lie by saying that she was laboring under a ' 
misapprehension! Would it not be a great com- 
fort to her if you could make her believe that she 
was wrong in her suspicions! So I could go on 
and give you many instances in which it would be 
proper to tell a lie. Let me once more urge an im- 
portant point. Be sure, when you tell a lie, that 
you are reasonably safe from being detected.' ' 

4. "It is proper to tell a lie when you hope to 
be charitable to somebody. The Bible is so full of 
teaching on charity that you will be glad for an 
opportunity to practice it in this manner.' y 

"If a person has a fault, and some one asks you 
about that person, would it not be kind in you to 
cover up the fault! If a person has an ugly dis- 
position, would it not be kindness on your part to 
conceal this characteristic! Suppose a person is 
Cursed with a bad temper, would it not be an act 



VIEWS OF SATAN ON LYING. 



69 



of charity if you were to speak kindly of his weak- 
ness to some one else? Always make some kind 
of an apology for the sins and weaknesses of oth- 
ers, so that the burdens of the weak will be light- 
ened. As yon walk along the pathway of life, yon 
will find many opportunities of this kind to im- 
prove. How could you fulfill scripture more than 
if you practice after this advice. This kind of 
charity you can practice, and how can you do it 
without the convenient use of a little falsehood 
now and then. " 

5. ' ' You certainly have a right to tell a lie to a 
person who asks you about things that he should 
not know, or about something that is not his busi- 
ness to know." 

' ' What better treatment can you give a man with 
such a nose, than to grease it with the oil of de- 
ception! The more lies you can tell such a man 
the quicker he will awake and see that he is a fool. 
About the worst thing you can give to a nosy man 
is your valuable time. If you wish to tell such 
men everything they want to know, you can let 
your business drop and take care of such fellows 
the rest of your days. A good lie fitly spoken is 
like a cool breeze on a hot day. If you become ex- 
pert in the use of lies you can deliver them evenly 
balanced. A lie will help you out of many a tight 



70 



VIEWS OF S ATA N OX LYING. 



place and will put happiness right in your path- 
way many a time when otherwise you would find 
thorns to prick you." 

' ' There are many other instances in which a lie 
is justifiable but I must leave all this to your own 
good judgment. I will give you a safe rule which 
you can follow: 'Whenever you feel like telling 
a lie and your conscience does not smite you, then 
you can feel sure that a lie is in place and you need 
not hesitate to tell it. If you should get into 
trouble sometime by telling a falsehood, you must 
not be too quick to blame all your trouble on the 
falsehood. You must remember that if you had 
not told the lie, that you might have gotten into 
greater trouble. That is the real oil of comfort 
which you must pour upon your wounded heart, 
when you are sorrowing over the lies which you 
have told. ' ' ' 

"I wish you abundant success in life, and do not 
forget that by telling the truth at the right time 
and a lie at the right time, that you will learn the 
real secret of a successful career, either in the pro- 
fessions, in business, or in any one of the other 
avenues of life." 



VIEWS OF SATAN ON LYING. 



71 



" Satan is true to himself in trying to teach that 
it is right to tell a lie. You would hardly expect 
him to express himself differently when he has 
been in this business ever since he fell from Heav- 
en. He lied to Eve in the garden of Eden ; to Cain 
who slew his brother ; and to the long line of pa- 
triarchs and prophets. He has become so pro- 
ficient in this kind of business that he is called the 
6 Father of Liars.' In the preceding remarks the 
Devil says that, ' It is not the lying that hurts a 
person but only when the lie is found out.' What 
can be more false than such a statement? When a 
person wilfully tells a lie, even though the lie may 
never be found out, its horrible scar is left upon 
the soul and will work injury sometime or some- 
where, somewhat after the manner that poison in 
the blood will come to the surface in one way or 
another. " 

"Satan also teaches that a person who tells the 
truth all the time will be in trouble over half the 
time. But he forgets to say that if a person should 
get into trouble by telling the truth, that he has a 
clear conscience and is not afraid to face anybody. 
Indeed the very opposite of what he teaches is true. 
A person who tells a lie a part of the time is in 



72 



VIEWS OF SATAN ON LYING. 



trouble all the time. It will not be long until good 
people will loose respect for him, and also his own 
heart will be filled with a meanness that will black- 
en all the blessings of life. ' 9 

" There may be certain extreme cases, such as 
the one concerning the dead husband to which Sa- 
tan makes reference, where misrepresentation may 
be an act of mercy. But always in such cases the 
misrepresentation is just for a moment, to be fol- 
lowed by the real truth. A person is in a tight 
strait for an argument when he must use such a 
circumstance to try to prove that lying is justifi- 
able." 

' ' The other instances cited by Satan are all born 
of Hell, and the man who will permit his conscience 
to be turned to the channel of lying with a good 
object in view, will finally become so steeped in his 
inward iniquity that he can commit grosser 
crimes without impunity. The Bible is clear on 
the subject of lying. It is there expressly forbid- 
den and even if you should be called upon to suffer 
pain for truth's sake, you can feel assured that in 
the end your triumph will be the more glorious. 
Words uttered in truth are fitly spoken, and are 
like ! Apples of gold in pitchers of silver/ " 





to Jferauaoe tytaplt 




ta U?jMt % 


by §>atau 


(Sre at Sniritatum 



A certain rich man lived in a magnificent man- 
sion on a hill near a great city. He had power to 
work all manner of miracles and to fulfill any of 
his purposes. With a kind heart he prepared a 
great supper and sent special messengers into all 
parts of the city to invite the poor, the crippled, 
the blind and anyone else who could be persuaded 
to come. In obedience to the order, one of the mes- 
sengers went toward the city, and as he came nigh 
to it, he met a beggar who had no home, and seem- 
ingly no friends. 

"I have good news to tell you," said the mes- 
senger. 

"It will be the first good news I have heard in 
many a day, say on," replied the beggar. 

"I have come to tell you that you are invited to 
a great supper, at the rich man's house on the 
hill." 

"You're only fooling me," returned the beggar 
with a look of interest in his eye. 



\ 




**He met a beggar who had no home, and seemingly no 

FRIENDS." 



THE GREAT INVITATION. 



75 



"I am telling you nothing but the truth. I was 
sent out for the special purpose of inviting such 
as you are. 

i 6 There is something out of gear. You don't 
'spose that such a critter as I am would be wanted 
in a king's palace.' ' 

"Surely I am not mistaken. If you are willing 
to go, you may enjoy the feast, and in addition re- 
ceive many blessings from the rich man." 

"How could I have the face to go? Don't you 
know that I have a black name, and have commit- 
ted all manner of sins. I might as well say that I 
am living in the lowest corner of society, and am 
nothing but scum, with rags on the edge of it. You 
can't expect me to go." 

The messenger then offered one persuasion after 
another but all were of no avail. 

Note: This beggar is a type of the sinner who 
thinks he is too wicked to go to Christ. Satan and 
many of his human agents make him believe that 
there is no hope for a great sinner like he is. 

Another messenger, with staff in hand, walked 
down an alley and rapped at the door of a very 
humble cottage. He was admitted by the inmate, 
a poor widow, who had struggled against the hard 
turns of fate for many a year. She had arisen 
from her grinding, to greet the messenger. 



THE GEEAT INVITATION. 



77 



"I have joyful news to relate. You are invited 
to the king's palace on the hill, to partake of a 
great supper, which is now prepared." 

"My friend, you have stopped at the wrong 
door, or perhaps you are looking for another per- 
son who bears my name. ' ' 

"Surely I am not mistaken,' ' insisted the mes- 
senger. "You are included amongst the number 
to whom I was sent with the invitation. ' ' 

( ' Can you not see, ' ' still further replied the wid- 
ow, "that I live in a broken-down house, and this, 
my best apparel, would not be acceptable in the 
eyes of a king. I should feel very much out of 
place if I would even try to accept the invitation. ' ' 

Then did the messenger inform the poor widow 
that tne king wished her to come just as she was, 
and that she would receive not only good things 
from the table, but beautiful raiment, and a clean 
heart. 

The widow was moved to tears by this large of- 
fer. She spoke deep words of appreciation as she 
thought of her unworthiness of so great an honor. 
After a brief pause she encouraged the messenger 
by her acceptance of his invitation. 

"I have decided to go, and you may look for me 
before the day is ended. ' ' 

The messenger departed with a glad heart, after 



"Don't you go" said some or the neighbors. "You will only 

MAKE A FOOL Of YOUBSELF. 



THE GREAT INVITATION. 



79 



which the widow hurried to tell her neighbors of 
the great honor bestowed upon her, and of her in- 
tention to accept it. 

Some of her friends rejoiced and urged her to 
go, while others made light of the whole affair, 
telling her that no one but a fool would think of 
doing what she was contemplating. Then she re- 
turned to her home with a sad heart and sat 
brooding over the discouraging words of her 
neighbors. In this manner she passed the hours 
and missed the great supper. 

Note: This woman is a type of those sinners 
who are willing to accept salvation, but who are 
discouraged by companions and friends. 

Another messenger, who was traveling through 
the city, met a wicked young man, and told him 
that he was invited to a feast at the rich man's 
house on the hill. 

i 6 What care I for a feast," said the young man. 
"So far in life I have had all I wish. If I were in 
need, I might accept this invitation, but indeed I 
have as good a feast as I want." 

"Don't talk so foolhardy," said the messenger. 
"Your present feast is composed of poisonous 
foods, while that to which I invite you is life-giv- 
ing and soul-healing." 

"You may mean it all well, but I prefer the bill- 



The young man haughtily tossed his hear and passed on." 



THE GREAT INVITATION. 



81 



of -fare down here in the city, above that which can 
be found on the hill. ' ' So saying, the young man 
haughtily tossed his head and passed on. 

Note: This young man is a type of the sinner 
who thinks he is having a better time in ungodli- 
ness than he could have by walking in the ways 
of truth. 

One of the other messengers stopped at the 
home of a cripple, and upon entering, he informed 
the unfortunate man that he was invited to a 
splendid feast at the rich man's house on the hill. 

1 1 1 know whom you mean, ' ' said the cripple. ' 1 1 
had often hoped that I might some day stand in 
the palace of the king, but by reason of my afflic- 
tion I can never expect to travel so far." 

"Is it your wish to go?" earnestly inquired the 
messenger. 

"It is my whole heart's wish," replied the 
cripple. 

"Then you shall reach the king's palace," as- 
sured the messenger. 

"How can it be true that the rich man desires 
me to come as helpless as I am!" quickly asked 
the cripple. 

"There is no mistake about it." 

i ' But how can I reach the palace on the hill 1 ' ' 

"I will now give you all needed assistance." 
e 



82 THE GEEAT INVITATION. 

At this the cripple's eye brightened, and after 
giving a second consent, the strong arms of the 
good messenger were employed in assisting the 
weak cripple through the streets of the city, and 
up toward the beautiful mansion. As they were 
passing through the gate towards the door of the 
palace, the rich man saw the cripple and hastened 
to greet him. At the foot of the beautiful steps took 
place the royal welcome, and a wonderful change 
in the cripple. He was made whole in an instant 
and he leaped joyously around the rich man's pal- 
ace. Furthermore he was clothed with new gar- 
ments, and with a most happy heart, he entered 
and partook of the feast. 

Note: This cripple is a type of the sinner in 
bondage who joyfully receives the tidings of sal- 
vation, and gladly accepts the assistance that is 
offered by God's people. 

The messengers went to all parts of the city and 
extended the invitation to everyone, although very 
few accepted. Each person who rejected gave one 
excuse or another. Others were so busily engaged 
with the pressing cares of life, that they gave no 
heed to the blessed invitation. But after they, who 
had accepted the invitation, had reached the king's 
palace, they had a most glorious time. 

The King of Heaven extends an invitation to 



jftHE GEEAT INVITATION. 



83 



all people in the world to-day, inviting them to the 
gospel feast, which is richly supplied with the 
bread of life and the fruits of salvation. How have 
you acted toward this blessed invitation? 



The rich man's house on the hill 
beautifully represents the Heavenly- 
Father's house. No matter how ter- 
ribly one is crippled with sin or 
groaning under the yoke of Satan, if 
such a one will go to the Heavenly 
Father he will be cured of all his 
spiritual ailments and relieved of the 
galling yoke. And moreover he will 
be clothed with the beautiful gar- 
ments of salvation. The one who 
helps a single soul to such a happy 
state will be blessed with joy un- 
speakable, and shall finally share in 
all the glories of the Heavenly man- 
sions. 



84 



The missionary led the cripple to the steps of the palace 
where he was made whole; and afterward clothed with 
new garments. 



Satan, in artful disguise, is ever leading a host on the 

MONOTONOUS ROUNDS OF SIN. He SINGS IN HIS DECEPTIVE 

song that they who follow him will find the 
Living Spring, but the bones along the way tell 

MORE TRULY WHAT THEIR END WILL BE. 



As I looked out over the great highway of hu- 
man life, I beheld an immense concourse of people 
who were passing along a smooth broadway, guid- 
ed by one who appeared to be a royal leader, but 
who in reality was Satan himself. The famous 
leader was so artfully disguised that very few per- 
sons were able to detect his real nature. As Satan 
moved on at the head of this vast procession, he 
kept time with his musical instrument as he sang 
the following song: 

' 1 Come join our ranks as on we go, 
To seek the living spring ; 
Where naught but healing waters flow. 
Come, join our ranks and sing." 

6 ' 'Twill not be long ere you shall see 
The fountain bubbling bright; 
And he who quaffs its waters free, 
Will revel in delight." 



88 



SATAN'S MUSICAL SERMON. 



On either side of the wide path that ran in the 
form of a great circle, could be seen the bones and 
skulls of the millions who had already fallen from 
the ranks and perished by the wayside. This aw- 
ful picture had but little effect upon the singers 
who ever continued in their monotonous rounds 
like willing slaves, or like sheep being led uncon- 
sciously to the slaughter. 

It was nothing uncommon to hear a person call- 
ing from the wayside: "X thirst, where can I find 
the water of life?" And then to hear some one 
reply : 

"Come with us for we are also seeking and hope 
to find the spring that will quench our thirst. 7 9 In 
all probability the anxious creature would join 
the company in full hope of finding the spring. 
Each one of the large company had gone through 
the same experience as this earnest inquirer, and 
they are now all moving onward, blind leaders of 
the blind. 

By way of truth it must be said that now and 
then some of these pilgrims lend a listening ear to 
the voices of love that are ever calling to those who 
travel in the monotonous rounds of sin, and by 
thus heeding the voice of warning they run to the 
shining path "That shineth more and more unto 
the perfect day," and where one can partake 



SATAN'S MUSICAL SERMON. 



89 



of the water of life as often and as freely as he 
wishes. 

Those who follow Satan in this monotonous 
round are not only from the low walks of life, but 
you will find men and women of refinement and 
who possibly bear a good name in the community 
in which they live. Some of these followers are 
men of wealth and social influence; others are 
from the slum level of society, and still others are 
from the great host of the middle class of people. 
Here their elbows jostle one against another in the 
same giddy rounds of sin, each one ever trying to 
satisfy his thirst, and yet with each repeated round 
he finds his thirst more craving than before. 

Here we see a picture of social inequality in 
natural life and of common equality in the service 
of Satan. They all meet the demands of the same 
leader, and are bound together by the same ties of 
infernal kinship. 

What power can break the charm that Satan 
thus holds over these followers? The deceived 
hosts are walking as if in their sleep, and the large 
majority of them do not fully realize their con- 
dition until the roar of the great Niagara of death 
reaches their ears. Then some struggle in terror 
to escape the inevitable, but when persons are so 
near to the falls, it is next to impossible to rescue 
them, r 



90 



SATAN'S MUSICAL SERMON. 



By a little reflection one can easily see the empti- 
ness of sin. The man who steps to the music of 
the Devil is indeed walking on the old, old path of 
sin all the time. He imagines that he is seeing the 
most up-to-date things as he walks after this decep- 
tive leader. But let it be known that sin has noth- 
ing new to offer to its followers. It presents the 
same old sins that have been used by Satan from 
the beginning of the world. Talk about a theatre 
giving the same show for several hundred nights 
in one city, that is nothing compared to the pro- 
gram that the Devil offers to many a man, which 
is virtually the same, for over two score years. 
The only thing that appears new is the dress in 
which the sins are masked. The naked sin itself, 
if it could be photographed, would look alike in 
every century of human progress. 

By the use of music, deception, masks, tempta- 
tions, lies, intimidation, the Devil expects to carry 
on his campaign of continuing his foolish, yet ter- 
rible march on the highway of sinful circles. No 
doubt there will always be some, and altogether too 
many, who will follow him, but let those whose 
eyes are open to see the folly of the whole situation 
step from the sickening ranks, and take a firm foot- 
hold on the path of peace and righteousness, where 
the truest kind of progress can be made. 




"There is certainly a 
opinion prevailing among some 
people regarding the early train- 
ing of a child. Even though the 
world is several thousand years old, yet people will 
not learn by the follies of the past. A child is the 
greatest bundle of possibilities in the world, and 
we cannot expect the best results to follow if the 
mind of the child is spoilt during the first seven 
years of its existence." 

"If you notice the policy which is pursued by 
some parents and guardians, you would infer that 
the child must be filled with all kinds of moral lec- 
tures and religious nonsense, until he groans under 
the terrible weight. To compel a child against it 
will to go to Sunday School or church before it is 
seven years old, is about the best way to ruin its 
mind for life." 

"One of the first requisites of a good mental 
training is to teach self-dependence, and, as quick- 
ly as possible, get the individual to see things for 



92 



SATAN ON CHILD TRAINING. 



himself. If it be your fond desire to have the child 
go to religious services, let the influence of a good 
example . draw him, and not the severity of the rod 
or the sharp lectures from the lips." 

" Allow a child to enjoy its natural liberty so 
that its expansion may be full and free. There is 
plenty of time for the weightier things, if the 
child's life is spared. The first seven years should 
be free from toil and restraint of any kind, except 
what the child may choose. In this manner the 
child will soon regard work as a pleasure. Think 
of the terrible effect it must have on a child's 
mind to put it into early slavery under a rod of 
fear. In this manner it is taught that life is a bur- 
den and that liberty,if it is to be enjoyed, must be 
a stolen pleasure. ' ' 

"It would be better to keep a child out of Sun- 
day School until he is seven years of age, and then 
allow him to go if he chooses. Constantly tell him, 
by your actions and your words, that religion is 
not intended to give a man greater liberty than he 
would otherwise enjoy, but on the contrary it often 
tends to narrow a man down to a set of hard rules. 
If religion were properly taught, it would have a 
wholesome effect upon the human race, but taught 
as it is in many places, it throws a dark gloom over 
what ought to be the brightest walks of life. * ? 



SATAN ON CHILD TRAINING. 



93 



* Regarding the home instruction, a parent 
ought to be especially careful to impress upon the 
mind of a child nothing concerning the unseen 
world. Take the first seven years to teach a child 
concerning the things which he can see, hear and 
touch. Let him become thoroughly acquainted 
with the world of sense and sight before you at- 
tempt to launch him into that mystical realm of the 
unseen. You must not attempt too much during 
one period of life. Attend to one thing well and 
see to it that genuine development is reached. If 
this advice is adopted you will find, at the end of 
seven years, a child with a fine body, healthy in 
all of its parts which will be a mighty foundation 
upon which a wise instructor can nobly build. " 

"The great majority of people in this age of the 
world are determined to follow in the rut, and be- 
cause their predecessors practiced the cramming 
method in the education of children, so they im- 
agine that they must do likewise. What the world 
needs at this time is a number of reformers who 
will have the boldness and courage to teach the 
benefits of the method I have just advanced. Then, 
under the new teaching, the body will not be sacri- 
ficed for the sake of the mind, but the mind will be- 
gin to expand in the proper realm at the proper 
time. Then we shall see the beginning of the 



94 



SATAN ON CHILD TRAINING. 



brightest era since the creation of the world. 
Until then let each one strive to fulfill the law as 
here advanced, and the great reward is sure to 
come. 

pill A Srief 2teply in % ]Im?2tittg 
III Bttmrn an SJnmtttuj (Efytlirm 

If the Devil would tell the truth, he would teach 
much differently on this subject than he has ex- 
pressed in this preceding sermon. Satan knows 
that the first seven years of a child's life is very 
important in the shaping of its character. He also 
knows that if a child is not placed under control 
during this first period, that it will be almost im- 
possible to control it afterward. 

The teaching of Satan regarding the develop- 
ment of the body to the exclusion of the spiritual 
training during the first years of a child's life, is 
senseless and not worthy of attention. We believe 
that the body should be developed without impair- 
ing the mental faculties, and also that the soul 
should have a healthy growth without interfering 
with the natural body. There is no better time in 
life to leave deep impressions on a child's mind, 
than during the first part of its existence. Then 
you can teach it concerning the existence of a su- 
preme being, and of the immortal life. 



SATAN ON CHILD TKAINING. 



95 



No child should be allowed to do as it pleases 
unless it pleases to do right. A boy or girl must 
early learn to be submissive to the will of another. 
If this is not learned its life will be more danger- 
ous than a ship without an anchor on a stormy sea. 
Satan knows very well that if a child is not sub- 
missive to its parents, or to the true God, that he 
himself will gain control over its life. 

Satan uses some beautiful expressions to show 
the outcome of his teachings, if they were ob- 
served. All this promise of a happy end is a wick- 
ed phantom, and is as untrue as Satan himself. He 
borrowed a picture of the Millenial Dawn and used 
it totally out of its connection. 

The most distressing feature of the situation is 
this : there are many people who follow the teach- 
ings of Satan in full or in part. We hope that they 
will turn a deaf ear to the enemy and give their 
children the training that will bring the highest 
possible results. 



r- 






:1 




1 




1 


















1 



A short sermon addressed to church-members, 
who are determined to travel the path of the just 
that shineth more and more* unto the perfect day. 

" Since you have surrendered yourself to God 
you have reached the highest possible condition of 
the spiritual life. What a pleasure it must be for 
you to stand on the mountain top where you can 
catch the Heavenly gales. Now you can enjoy the 
happy experience of being perfect, in which state 
you will have nothing more to strive after. Your 
main duty hereafter will be to see that decency and 
order prevail in the church. Do not allow your- 
self to be ruled by some dyspeptic preacher, who 
may urge you to continue struggling toward high- 
er ground, fighting unreal foes until you breathe 
your last breath. Why not be satisfied with your 
glorious attainments, and take a rest! That is 
what God wishes for you in the lovely passage: 
i There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of 
God.' If you were a creature of tha world, then 



SATAN ON CHRISTIAN ZEAL. 



97 



you should not rest, but keep on struggling until 
you surrender to God. If you are a good Chris- 
tian, you need not be afraid of temptations or any- 
thing of that kind. Suppose you should happen 
to yield to sin for- a season, it could not have any 
bad effect upon you for God will keep you pure. 
Always remember that the Lord keeps his chil- 
dren in the hollow of his hand, and that nothing 
can harm them there. ' ' 

"You may sin whenever you aim to do right 
through it. Your intentions will save you much 
more surely than your deeds. 'For as a man 
thinketh in his heart, so is he. ' What has the out- 
ward deeds to do with a man's destiny, so long as 
he believes right in his heart ?" 

"You can see this truth demonstrated in the 
lives of all the great men of the Bible. If God had 
judged Daniel, Solomon and Peter by their out- 
ward deeds, not one of them would have reached 
Heaven. God, in his mercy, looked upon their 
hearts, and so they were enabled to stand in their 
evil day." 

"Your greatest battle must be fought with those 
who misjudge you. Perhaps it may be a preacher 
or a Christian who makes a loud profession, and 
who is far beneath you in purity of character. 
'Let none of these things move you.' Be like 



98 



SATAN ON CHEISTIAN ZEAL. 



Paul;— stand firm on the rock, no matter who as- 
saults you. 'Let your light so shine before men 
that they may see your good works and glorify 
your father which is in Heaven. ■ In time you will 
outlive the envy of your contemporaries, and the 
censure of your foes." 



One would hardly believe that any professing 
Christian would give heed to such ideas as Satan 
advances in the foregoing sermon. The Devil 
holds more than a dozen different views on one 
subject, each one to suit a different class of char- 
acters in life with which he may happen to deal. 
Yet there are thousands of church-members who 
give heed to his deathly doctrines, and although 
they are sinning without repentance, they make 
themselves believe that they have a clear consci- 
ence. How shrewdly Satan quotes scripture out of 
its real connection, and makes it convey a very 
false meaning. How easy it is for a Christian to 
fold his arms and do nothing. It is well for all 
persons who are tempted to a life of Christian ease 
to read the immortal lines of the poet: 



SATAN ON CHRISTIAN ZEAL. 



99 



"Must I be carried to the skies, 

On flowery beds of ease, 
While others f ought to win the prize, 
And sailed through bloody seas?" 

Or read from the greatest of all books: 
" Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." 
Let no one believe that indifference does not 
breed death. It must be avoided like a deadly ser- 
pent, for it eateth as doth a canker. The motto of 
the Christian ever should be to reach higher 
ground, and he should not be led to think that he 
will ever reach such a state in this life, from which 
he cannot make advancement. 



LcfC 




Once upon a time, Satan addressed an audience 
of worldly-minded Christians. He had prepared 
himself with objects by which to make a deeper im- 
pression of what he wished to teach. In one hand 
he held a branch of a fruit tree, that had been part- 
ly eaten by worms, but which contained good clus- 
ters of fruit. In the other hand, he held a beauti- 
ful branch on which the mark of the worm pest 
could not be seen, but this branch had no fruit. 

"I appear to you this day to teach you the truth 
regarding the results of sin. You have heard it 
said that all sin is harmful. But I have come to 
tell you differently. A little sin becomes stimu- 
lating and works to a good end. Look at this fruit- 
bearing branch which I hold in my hand. It has 



HAEMLESSNESS OF SIN. 



JO! 



been attacked by little worms until their marks of 
destruction are plainly visible all over it. Yet this 
has only stimulated the life of the branch, so that 
it has borne fruit abundantly. The best fruit in 
life is borne in sin, therefore I would urge you not 
to be afraid of certain small sins. You can see 
that the other branch has been free from the ene^- 
my's blight, and yet it has borne nothing but 
leaves. ' ' 

"This fruitless branch is a fair sample of those 
people who want to be so pious and goody goody 
in life. They make a beautiful showing, but bear 
no fruit. As you walk along the pathway of life, 
you will notice that the best results come, not only 
from pure illumination, but by the mingling of the 
lower light with the higher. It is a case of two^op- 
posites flashing together to form the vital spark. 
Only as the soul is touched by sin can it reach its 
highest level. This does not necessarily mean that 
sin must predominate. One must learn how to live 
and serve a noble purpose, and at the same time 
entertain a little sin in his heart. I trust that you 
will leave this room to-day with broader views of 
life, and that you will not despise all sin because 
certain ones have such a black color." 



102 



HARMLESSNESS OF SIN. 



A Iteplg to &atan* a STalk an 



Since sin entered into the world its nature has 
not changed. Its tendency is always toward de- 
struction and death, and it pollutes the soul just 
as the decayed part of an apple infects the whole 
of it. The Bible uses the strongest language to de- 
scribe the terribleness of sin and its consequences. 
No poet or prose writer has ever been able to un- 
fold the withering effects of sin which act upon 
the soul like poison upon the body. 

Satan may point to the fruitless branch, and, by 
telling a lie, tiy to teach that lack of fruit is due 
to the healthy condition of the tree, but such de- 
ception will not go very far with sensible people. 
Every person knows that the first requisite to 
fruit-bearing is a good condition of the trunk and 
branches of the tree. If a worm-eaten branch 
bears fruit, the fruit grows in spite of the worms 
and not because of them. Satan is true enough 
when he insinuates that the worm bears the same 
relation to the tree that sin does to the character 
of a person. Follow out this fact and see the 
blighting effects of waste and ruin on one tree af- 
ter another. Many valuable trees commence to die 



HAKMLESSXESS OF SIN. 



103 



just because the worms are eating the life out of 
them, and if their course is not checked certain 
death will come to the trees. So in a similar man- 
ner will sin work its ruin, if it is allowed to operate 
upon a single soul. A small portion of it is of the 
same quality as the large consignments. It all 
comes from the same black bottle of death, and if 
Satan were truthful he could unfold a tale of hor- 
rors concerning the effects of sin that would shud- 
der any human being. 



7 




Sermon delivered to an inquiring mind that had 
been staggering under doubt for a long time. Sa- 
tan appeared and addressed his subject as follows : 

"I am happy to see you this morning so profit- 
ably engaged in reading the Bible. This is an evi- 
dence of your sincerity, and a proof that you will 
have a greater interest in what I am about to utter. 
I feel that it is my duty to tell you some of the lat- 
est truths on the subject of the Lord's Supper. If 
you will give me your closest attention so as to 
fully understand me, I am certain that you will re- 
ceive much good, for there is no doubt about the 
correctness of my views according to common 
sense and the Bible. You need not expect me to 
give you the same old antiquated doctrines that 
have warped the spiritual eyesight of Christians 
for nineteen hundred years, but I purpose to give 
you some truths thoroughly up-to-date. Let me 
first tell you something about the 



THE LOED'S SUPPER. 



105 



WM r - $ ltrjroa* of 
jQfll iitJBtituimg 



Wop HurJf 0 9itpp?r 



HUMHI 



" There is no mystery about this inasmuch as 
Christ clearly stated his purpose. 'This do in re- 
membrance of me.' Some men perpetuate their 
memory by building institutions of learning, oth- 
ers by endowing hospitals and establishing li- 
braries, and still others by their illustrious deeds 
in peace or in war. But Christ, more wise than 
all his followers, simply commanded that men 
should gather together and honor him by a simple 
and inexpensive service." 

"At the time when the Lord's Supper was insti- 
tuted no one dreamed that the command of Christ 
referred to any one except his immediate disciples. 
To them this rite was obligatory. It would be 
most interesting history to explain how the custom 
of drinking wine and eating bread as an act of wor- 
ship was continued beyond the apostolic age, but 
let us waste no time in stumbling over the rocky 
paths of early church history; we must face the 
situation as it is in this present age." 

"As you take a close observation of the follow- 
ers of Christ, you will see that they are divided 
into several classes. One class observes this so- 
called ordinance in a purely formal manner, and 
for no other reason than that they have seen others 



106 



THE LORD'S SUPPER. 



observing it as far back as they can remember. 
Another class of Christians, as they look at this 
subject, are fully awake to the customs of the ages, 
but they are still more alive to the Bible itself. 
How refreshing it is to find a Christian who is able 
and willing to take a broad view of each doctrine 
in the Bible! Has it ever occurred to your mind 
that the real truth of scripture is contrary to any 
service that has the appearance of the so-called 
Lord's Supper? But you must remember that it 
requires a truly enlightened mind and a courage- 
ous heart to accept and practice such up-to-date 
truth." 

"It is not necessary to enter into a lengthy dis- 
cussion concerning this question. Allow me simply 
to say that Christ spoke to his disciples only, and 
was making arrangements for their social union. 
This was perfectly proper and it served to bind 
these immediate followers into one humble frater- 
nity. It is true that they gathered together and 
ate bread from one loaf and drank wine from one 
cup and otherwise entered into worship and honor- 
ed the memory of the suffering and death of their 
Master. All this was in strict obedience to the 
spoken command of their recently living Lord." 

"Now let me repeat that there is not a single 
passage in the whole Bible that commands the per- 



THE LORD'S SUPPER, 



107 



petual observation of this ordinance. Then why 
should yon linger in doubt and thus torment your 
mind on this misunderstood question! Come out 
into the clear light and enjoy the greater liberty 
which is promised to all those who prefer to fol- 
low the Bible rather than the whims and fancies 
of its blind devotees. " 

' 1 Next let me consider the attitude of Christians 
to-day toward this subject. It may not be a sin to 
observe this antiquated custom, but it is certainly 
not required. Let each one be bold enough to come 
out on the side of truth, and although the great 
majority may be slow in changing yet let those 
who are more enlightened and more truth-loving, 
step out first. Under any circumstances you must 
be charitable toward those who insist upon ob- 
serving the Lord's Supper. Always remember 
that many have been so trained from their youth 
up, and if they were to cease observing this rite 
it would only make them feel miserable. ' ' 

"I would also give you some advice that will be 
of good service to you as you come in contact with 
those who believe and practice this doctrine. First 
of all discourage as much as possible the exercis- 
ing of any emotional spirit. It is bad enough to 
become enthusiastic over the best part of religion, 
but it is much worse to show the color of emotion 



108 



THE LOKD'S SUPPER. 



over the imaginary features of the faith. Away 
with all fanaticism. The Lord's Supper will never 
die out as long as it is made the occasion of melt- 
ing hearts into one spirit of rejoicing, or of tears.' ' 

"If a church or people insist upon a frequent 
observance of this so-called ordinance, use your 
strongest influence to make it the most formal and 
dignified of all the forms of worship, If there is 
any place where a man or woman needs a cool 
head it is in religion. If he is not calm and steady, 
he is liable to flounder like the unhappy and un- 
fortunate fish out of its natural element." 

"I will further advise you to be bold in your 
teaching on the kind of emblems to be used in the 
celebration of the Lord's Supper. Spend your in- 
fluence to get the church to use the most harmless 
ingredients. Either common sense or a liberal 
education will teach that the emblems of the Eu- 
charist can be changed to suit the climate and also 
the custom of the people. There is no necessity of 
clinging to bread and wine, as if nothing else could 
be figurative of Calvary's tragic scenes. If you 
were in China, what would be more appropriate 
than rice and water? In Germany what would be 
more fitting than pretzels and beer? In America 
crackers and grapes would be very suitable em- 
blems. ' ' 



THE LORD'S SUPPER. 



109 



After Satan had finished his sermon, he left to 
plant his seeds of error in some other heart. 

I&vmt (Hiinga tljat BaXm Mmisb tn Minium in | 

1. He neglected to say with certainty that Christ 
being the Son of God, was the center of all author- 
ity. 

2. He also placed a false and selfish construc- 
tion on the words : ' ' This do in remembrance of 
me." 

3. It is certain that the command to observe the 
Lord's Supper pointed away to the churches of all 
ages, because the observance continued from the 
first apostles to all Christians at once. This would 
not have been probable if the sacred supper were 
intended only for the apostles. 

Also if we localize the command concerning the 
Lord's Supper, so must we localize the sermon on 
the mount and the greater part of the New Testa- 
ment. 

4. Concerning the emblems ; Satan forgot to say 
that Christ selected these, and it is not left to the 
whims and fancies of the people of any nation or 
any climate to select as they may choose. Satan 
well knows that if he could persuade people to 
change the emblems at will, that he has won a very 
decisive victory against the Lord's Supper. 




M3 



f? 



the 3fanitjaljtt?aa nf SteltguuiH §>?v- 
bir?a in Uj* ^xxmt. Mtlttxwtb ta a 
CUfriHttan Sfatfypr ana C§fa?rl|*aru 
hu a <£mn»amj of lEiril 0$rirttH. 



"I have come to you on this occasion to enlight- 
en your mind regarding the custom of family wor- 
ship. After careful consideration of the subject 
I am firmly convinced that family worship is the 
most useless of all the forms of religious service. 
A family should not be selfish in its devotion, when 
an opportunity is at hand to attend public services. 
The practice of family worship may have been all 
right in an age when there were few churches or 
at the present time in communities where people 
live in isolated homes. But, where churches are 
within reach of the families I can see that more 
harm than good is accomplished by holding home 
worship of any kind." 



FAMILY WORSHIP. m 

"One of the main reasons why family worship 
is useless, is not alone because of an abundant sup- 
ply of churches, but because of the great variety 
of services that are held in them on the Sabbath 
day and throughout the week. It is much better to 
be faithful to some of these general meetings of the 
church, than to spend so much of your valuable 
time in the home worship that must of necessity 
become monotonous." 

' ' This is a sharp age of competition, and when 
a man awakes from his sleep with fresh energy, 
it is his duty to go into the regular work of the 
day with all the push possible. He owes his best 
working hours to the support of his family, and to 
the duty which he must perform to his fellow 
creatures. It may be all right for a lazy man or a 
man who has no work to do, to stay at home in the 
morning and hold family services of ten minutes or 
more." 

' ' Then in the next place, where is there any ne- 
cessity for family worship! People are not bad 
because they don't know any better. The family 
worship does not add anything to the instruction 
imparted in the church, and therefore it is useless. 
People are smarter in these days than they were 
in the older times, consequently they need not con- 
sult headquarters so often. In the age of perse- 



112 



FAMILY WORSHIP. 



cution, it must be admitted, that family worship 
was a great comfort, and it proved to be a strong 
staff in the time when sharp trials had to be borne. 
But now, when people are more charitable, and 
when liberty of conscience is established, there is 
no further need to maintain the home worship. 
Let each one do his praying privately. It will be 
a great accomplishment if even that much is 
done. ' ' 

"Church members ought to know how many 
children are influenced against religion by com- 
pelling them to gather in worship once or twice a 
day with a father and mother whose home life has 
no doubt been more or less stormy. In many in- 
stances the mother has told the children white and 
black lies and then gets down to pray before them, 
or perhaps the father has been living somewhat 
inconsistently and the children hear him act the 
part of a saint in his morning or evening prayer. ' ■ 

Then Satan whispered to his imps unheard by 
the man: "It does not take very long for the 
children to see that religious devotion and a 
crooked life can be hitched together. Then when 
the children grow older they will perhaps have an 
impression that any kind of a life will do to be a 
Christian. 9 ' Satan turning again to the man, con- 
tinued : 



FAMILY WORSHIP. 



113 



4 4 The average parent at best is very poorly 
qualified to impart religious instruction. This is 
one of the greatest reasons why there should be 
no attempt made to hold religious services in the 
home, or to impart any kind of scriptural instruc- 
tion there. All such work should be left to those 
who are more competent. The children will then 
get less instruction, but it will go much farther in 
its good results." 

"The best kind of family worship is that in 
which the father and mother and the children show 
the proper kind of love and respect for one an- 
other and in all things, as much as possible, follow 
the dictates of a good conscience. ' ' 

"If I had my own way, I would break down all 
the family altars in the land. If I could not per- 
suade the children to go to church, I would not 
compel them, but I would wait until they were old 
enough to see the benefit of it. In that way the 
child would be religious of his own free choice, and 
that would count for more good than for him to be 
a Christian by compulsion." 

This address was very much appreciated by the 
company of imps who heard it, for some of them 
were running short of ammunition. Certain ones 
of the chief spirits present declared that the speech 



s 



114 



FAMILY WORSHIP. 



was thoroughly up-to-date, and that it would be 
used with good effect to pull down some of the 
family altars. 



It is easily understood why Satan is so strongly 
opposed to family worship. Anything of this 
kind, which is so pleasing to God, and so profitable 
to the members of the family, is certainly very 
damaging to the kingdom of Satan. If Satan could 
destroy religion in the home, he would then laugh 
to see the last nickering of the religious fires in 
the world. 

Satan and his followers argue that there is no 
necessity for family worship on account of the 
many services held in the churches. They might 
as well argue that there is no necessity for the little 
rills of water that run into the spring inasmuch 
as there is so much water in the spring. The 
spring would soon dry up if its feeders were once 
closed, so would the life of church services become 
dead and formal if the Christian life of the indi- 
vidual in the home would come to an end. 

Satan also argues that a busy man has no time to 
hold family worship. This would be true if fam- 
ily worship were worthless, but when we consider 




nil iFamilg Wnr^tp 




FAMILY WORSHIP. 



115 



what effect it has on the members of the home, we 
can form a clearer idea of its great value. It 
binds the hearts of the parents closer together and 
they feel that God has a part in the rearing of the 
children. Also the children have a greater respect 
for the heads of the home, and on their young 
minds are fixed eternal impressions for good. 
The power and influence of religious services in 
the home reach far beyond the limit of the family 
circle, which could be proved by a long list of inci- 
dents. 

Satan also argues in the preceding sermon that 
there is no necessity for family worship because 
the church furnishes ample instruction. We cer- 
tainly rejoice in the fact that the church furnishes 
so much good instruction, and this is a splendid 
help to the upbuilding of religious thought and 
character. Any wise parent should know how to 
make the best use of this church help. But the 
best fruit is produced by personal care, by a lov- 
ing interest on the part of the parents in the home. 
The world can never tell the amount of good that 
has been accomplished around the family altar, in 
conjunction with which all other good influences 
will harmonize into the perfecting of the individ- 
ual life and character. 

We hope the time will never come when Satan's 



116 



FAMILY WOESHIP. 



ambition will be realized. We believe that he 
would rejoice very much if every family altar 
could be broken down. It should therefore be a 
pleasure to everybody to uphold the holy influence 
of the home altar, and thereby do something for 
the betterment of mankind and toward the over- 
throw of the kingdom of darkness. 




Preached by Satan to a Young Lady at one of the 
By-ways of Life. 

A certain young lady who was traveling along 
the pathway of Purity, felt the pulse of temptation 
at a certain place where steps of Prostitution led 
downward to one side of the path. As if held by 
some strange magic, she paused, scanned the steps 
and was inclined to descend, yet her better judg- 
ment forbade her. Then the invisible Satan spoke 
to her mind through that wireless telegraphy long 
ago known to the spirits : 



ture has called you to walk downward here, and 
after you have passed over these steps you will 
gain the new knowledge, which will open your eyes 
to the broadest views of life. True enough the ad- 
vice of your mother and father forbid you to pur- 




"You have come to an important 
turn in your experiences. If you de- 
scend these steps you will taste of 
life's fruit for the first time. Na- 



SATAN AND PURITY. 



119 



sue such a course, but it is well known that loving 
parents, in their zeal to do good, go to wide ex- 
tremes in advising their children. Your mother 
knows that yom are entitled, by the grant of nature, 
to the blessed fruit that can only be found on the 
lower level. ' ' 

The young lady answered in her own soul : 
"X cannot go by the way of these steps. The 
time has not yet arrived for me to seek or enjoy 
such privileges which are contrary to the customs 
of good society, and at variance with the laws of 
God." 

"Nonsense! nonsense !" came the 
suggestion from Satan. "The time 
to eat fruit is when you have an ap- 
petite for it, and the most charming 
appetite is the first. Some of the 
wisest of the world have improved the golden op- 
portunity, and descended these steps at your very 
age of life. Why should you hesitate? Virtue, if 
once lost, can easily be regained, and it is a thou- 
sand times better to experience the sweet influence 
on this lower level, than to deny yourself day by 
day on the vain assumption that purity must be 
maintained at any cost." 

The young lady felt in her soul that this teach- 
ing came from the enemy, then she passed through 



THE 
TERRIBLE 
SERMON 
CONTINUES 



120 



SATAN AND PUMTY. 



a mighty struggle with both the flesh and the 
Devil. She was conquering in the trying ordeal, 
and contrary to the wishes of Satan, she breathed 
her prayer to God for deliverance. The heroine 
broke away from the spell that seemingly bound 
her, and refused to listen any longer to the voice 
of temptation that would have blasted the flower of 
her purity, and without mercy send the cursed 
pangs of sin and regret into her soul. 

As she passed on, the comfort of victory welled 
up within her, and her joy was unspeakable. 



Satan in the form of a hobgoblin, undertook to frighten Miss 
Pilgrim, who, quick as a flash, thrust her sword toward 
him. He escaped injury by throwing himself back- 
ward. 





Barfaq, Km 1*- i 

ltorrii Burnt Btxmatxtts j 



A young lady whose ambitions were pure pray- 
ed for a good equipment instead of riches. In an- 
swer to her prayer she received a splendid outfit 
from the armory of God. On her head was a per- 
fect helmet of salvation; her heart was protected 
by a shining breast-plate of righteousness, and her 
loins were girded about with truth. Also her feet 
were shod with the preparation of the gospel of 
peace, and in her left hand was a most beautiful 
shield of faith, while in her right hand she held a 
two-edged sword. When she had received this 
powerful outfit for attack and defence, she was ex- 
horted to pray with all supplication and watch 
with all perseverance. 

How beautiful she looked as she walked forth 



124 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



upon the way of life, ready to meet any foe and 
even prepared to conquer in any strife. But better 
than all, she was prepared to enjoy the scenery 
along the way, and to hold peaceful fellowship 
with the unseen God. 

Now behold the evil one sought to overcome this 
fair young Pilgrim. He knew that it would be of 
no use to preach infidelity to her, as she was thor- 
oughly informed in Bible truths. He closely fol- 
lowed her for many a day ever watching for some 
opportunity whereby he might win a victory over 
her. 

As this young Pilgrim journeyed on, she found 
that the way was becoming more and more delight- 
ful to her, for it is true that they who travel dili- 
gently on the good path enjoy the greatest amount 
of happiness. ' One day as she was making splendid 
progress she came to a place where Satan, in the 
form of a terrible Hobgoblin, under- 
took to frighten her. He came upon 
her without notice, suddenly rushing 
down to the edge of the path on 
which she was traveling and shouting with all 
terror : 

" Throw down that sword and shield or I will 
tear the heart out of you. ' ' 

Quick as a flash, the young pilgrim nerved her- 



A MEAN 
ATTACK 
BY SATAN 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 125 

self for an attack, and in swift defence she raised 
her shining shield and thrust her sword toward 
him as she uttered these words : 

"In the name and by the help of the living God, 
I will keep my shield, my sword and my heart. ? ' 

Had the monster not thrown himself backward, 
he would have suffered sharp pain from the sword 
of Miss Pilgrim. Her boldness totally baffled him, 
inasmuch as he did not raise his bludgeon which 
he had left fall during her attack. He well knew 
that he could wage no successful battle with her 
as long as she remained on the path of righteous- 
ness. So he changed his tactics and suddenly made 
himself more beautiful, and with pleasing address 
he tried to decoy her to one side, but she was 
shrewd enough not to step on forbidden ground. 
After a series of vile but futile efforts the trans- 
formed Hobgoblin gathered himself together and 
disappeared. 

When this mean attack by Satan was ended, » 
Miss Pilgrim rejoiced with joy unspeakable and 
full of glory. She praised God for the strength 
with which she was blessed to conquer so com- 
pletely. Then she sung some of the good songs 
of Zion, and drank anew of the water of life, and 
ate a goodly portion of a spiritual feast which had 
been provided for her. After this she found that 



126 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



her path led through a pleasant woodland, where 
flowers grew on either side of the way, and where 
sweet birds sang most charmingly. She testified 
to many of her friends that this was the most de- 
lightful spot which she had yet reached since she 
put on the whole armor of God. 

Miss Pilgrim found no lack of company, and the 
fellowship of saints was so enjoyable to her that 
she prayed more earnestly than ever for those who 
were deceived so much that they imagined the com- 
pany of the Broad Highway to be more congenial 
than any other. 

Now it happened that Miss Pilgrim, in her jour- 
ney entered into a peculiar country where temp- 
tations abound. Although she knew the character 
of Satan and his manner of working, yet she was 
not aware that he was following her so closely. 
The Evil One noticed a suitable place ahead to 
which he hastened, so as to reach it before Miss 
Pilgrim. When she approached him she noticed 
an angel-like form, but upon closer inspection she 
was positive that it was the enemy in 
disguise. 

6 ' Pause a moment,' ' said the angel- 
like creature, " allow me to ask you 
how much you will take for the hel- 
met which you have on your head?" 



A LITTLE 
DECEPTIVE 

SERMON 
BY SATAN 



fHE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 127 

"I will not part with it under any circum- 
stances," she answered with determination. 

"I will give you a crown of pure gold in ex- 
change, if you will surrender it," calmly offered 
the Tempter. 

' i Of what use is a crown to me now ? I look for 
a crown at the end of my race. This is the day of 
helmet wearing, because I cannot tell what mo- 
ment some fiery darts may be hurled at me. ' ' 

"Ha! ha!" laughted the Tempter, "I can see 
that you have been deceived. You have fought 
your battles well and it will hardly happen that 
you will need the helmet any more this side of 
Heaven's gate. On account of your faithfulness, 
I have been sent to crown you. Why should you 
hesitate to accept your reward which will be a 
thousand times more beautiful than the rough hel- 
met now on your head, and more than that, this 
crown will be more suited to your grace of body, 
and your peculiar charms. ' 9 

The young lady scanned for a moment the bright 
object in the hand of the angel-like creature, and 
then said that she had received explicit orders not 
to surrender her helmet until she had reached the 
very gate of Heaven. "Then," she said, "I will 
lay my armor down, and not before that time." 

Then the enemy, with artful conversation, con- 



128 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



tinned his temptations, and the yonng pilgrim 
firmly resisted them all. After a short season had 
passed, she poised her sword steadily and demand- 
ed that she be disturbed no longer. She escaped 
withont a battle, and went on her way rejoicing. 

After the lapse of a few days, when she had quite 
forgotten her last temptation, she was again trav- 
eling alone in her nsual manner, when she met an- 
other peculiar object that looked more like an an- 
gel than a devil. 

"Hold on, my young friend!" cried out a voice, 
"I am so glad that you came along just at this 
time. I am in great need of a shield 
as I must travel a path where fiery 
darts are hurled. If you will do me 
the great favor of loaning your 
shield to me I will return it in good 
order and will be under infinite obligations to 
you. ' ' 

This tender, pathetic appeal touched the heart of 
Miss Pilgrim more than any other form of tempta- 
tion which she had yet encountered, but she quick- 
ly remembered what had been said to her : "Let 
no man take thy shield," and looking toward the 
Tempter's face, she answered: 

"This shield is not my own. I am forbidden to 
part with it under a severe penalty." 



A SERMON 
BORN 

WITH 
A LIE 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



129 



"Surely no harm can come to you, for your jour- 
ney is over a smooth country where no foes 
abound. Before you will need it, I will return it 
again into your hands. ' ' 

It happened that the young soldier thoughtless- 
ly dropped her shield a little during this conversa- 
tion, and the Tempter being convinced that he 
could not persuade her to surrender it, made an 
ugly attack upon her with a handful of fiery darts, 
some of which flew over the top of her shield and 
struck her helmet. 

"Ah!" she quickly cried, "how thankful I am 
that I did not give my helmet for the crown." 
After this she made a bold attack upon the foul de- 
mon, who, observing that his fiery darts had done 
her no harm, quickly made good his escape. 

Miss Pilgrim, as she continued on the King's 
Highway, came to a place where she heard strange 
music from some unknown source. Being a lover 
of music she paused to listen, and as she listened, 
she was quite captured by the beautiful strains, 
and she found herself being drawn toward the 
place whence came such unusual melodies. Miss 
■ — — = Pilgrim was so enraptured that she 

A sermon did not think that she was treading 
in on dangerous ground, nor were her 
music suspicions aroused until she fell 
— -3 through a layer of dead twigs and 



THE JOUftNEY OF MISS PILGRIM'. 



leaves into a pit. It was a miracle that she was 
not bruised by her fall. Before she had time to 
examine the pit she was confronted by a polite gen- 
tleman, who seemed to approach her through an 
underground passage. 
4 1 Happy to see you. ' ' 

Miss Pilgrim made no reply. As yet she had 
no time to collect her thoughts. 

"How came you into this place? " 

4 ' I fell into it by accident, ' ' explained Miss Pil- 
grim as her fears were increasing. 

"And shall I help you out?" 

"If you please, sir." 

' 1 Follow me and I will take you to a place where 
there are steps leading to the sunlight. ' ' 

Miss Pilgrim commenced to pray for direction 
and seeing no possible way to get out by the way 
she came in, she was compelled to follow her 
would-be rescuer. She was fully conscious of his 
evil designs, and being caught so innocently, she 
was determined to make the best possible escape 
from hep sudden captivity. 

Mr. Polite conducted Miss Pilgrim through a 
winding underground channel and came to a room 
dimly lighted. Here he paused and turning to her 
he calmly requested: 

"Lay down your weapons and enjoy a rest." 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



131 



" That would be signing my death-warrant, 9 ' she 
answered with decision. 

At this Mr. Polite turned the key, thereby lock- 
ing the only door to the room. Miss Pilgrim now 
took a bold stand and drew her sword. 

"My God is able to deliver me from your foul 
hands. I charge you to open that door, or take 
the edge of this blade.' ' 

"Be not so enraged, my friend, I closed that 
door only to keep out a set of mean fellows who 
would have forcibly torn your weapons and your 
honor from you." 

Then quick as a flash, Mr. Polite opened the door 
and rushed out, closing and locking the door after 
him. 

Left to herself Miss Pilgrim spent her time in 
prayer. She was confronted by an angel who told 
her to wait for the time of her deliverance, and 
meanwhile trust in God. In a short time the keeper 
of the place entered, and told her that she would 
be liberally compensated at the end of her period 
of service. 

' ' My period of service is already at an end. You 
shall not have my free will in sin a single mo- 
ment,' ' firmly and defiantly declared Miss Pil- 
grim. 

The keeper approached her in silence and Miss 



132 THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 

Pilgrim suspecting his motive, drew her sword in 
defence : 

"I warn you not to touch me while I wield this 
sword, ' ' cautioned Miss Pilgrim with a firm voice. 

The keeper suddenly halted and being enraged, 
he addressed the brave heroine : 

"How dare you flaunt a sword in my face?" 

"Only in the name of Him whom I serve. I 
warn you again to lay no hand upon me. ' ? 

"Do you not know, my young girl, that your life 
is in my hands? If I so choose I can put an end 
to you this very day. ' ' 

"You speak a falsehood. You cannot put an end 
to me. You could easily tear this body of mine 
apart, or burn it, but you must not think that you 
could put an end to me. If you drag me down to 
death by sheer force, you will thereby give me a 
short route to Heaven. I will live forever after my 
body is cold in death." 

"Ah, you are quite a preacher!" jestingly said 
the keeper. "You ought to be in the pulpit, not 
down here in a place like this." 

The keeper tarried no longer but hurriedly left 
the room locking the door after him. 

Miss Pilgrim continued in earnest prayer for de- 
liverance from the foul place where she was held 
captive. Her prayer was one of submission, for 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 133 

she expressed her willingness to die if need be 
rather than surrender her faith. 

A short time thereafter there appeared a gentle- 
man of splendid physique and bearing a pleasant 
countenance. After he had entered the room he 
addressed Miss Pilgrim in a fascinating manner: 

"I am indeed glad to meet you, my friend, I 
have come to spend a social hour with you. ' ' 

' ' If you wish to hold conversation with me you 
must wait until I am free from this place. I am 
now in bondage." 

"Are you not at liberty to do as you please?" 

"I am a slave in bondage. I have no control 
over that door through which you have entered. I 
will have nothing to do with any man while I am 
in this low den. Once more I say that I will gladly 
speak with you if you see to it that I escape. ' ' 

The winning man plied all his ingenuity to per- 
suade the beautiful Miss Pilgrim to a violation of 
her honor, but she fought to the sword's point un- 
til the visitor, defeated and ashamed, left the room. 
After this manner Miss Pilgrim conducted herself 
until she was enabled to escape. She went forth 
most gladly into the welcome light of the King's 
Highway, and keenly remembered the music that 
pulled her feet from the proper path. She cau- 
tioned herself anew not to give heed to anything 



134 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



whatever that would tempt her from the path of 
life whereon she was traveling. 

The King's Highway never appeared to her so 
handsome as now. The dark shadows of the den 
deepened her appreciation of the blessed light that 
Heaven was bestowing on her as she continued on 
her journey. Her eyes feasted anew on the unsur- 
passed scenery, and her prayers of gratitude as- 
cended to Heaven with more fervor than ever. 

Not long after this when Miss Pilgrim was med- 
itating along the way, there was a dark being call- 
ed Fear that rushed toward her like a cyclone, and 
instantly hurled many fiery darts, but they struck 
her shield and fell broken at her feet. Miss Pil- 
grim addressed this creature with great courage. 
Her experience with the Hobgoblin helped her 
greatly to meet this new foe. 

"Away! away! you fearful creature. Neither 
you nor your darts can break in upon me, for I am 
under eternal protection as long as I retain these 
weapons. ' ' 

The demon of Fear, finding that he could make 
no impression on Miss Pilgrim, drew himself to 
one side and the heroine sang more joyously than 
ever as she passed on. 

Miss Pilgrim was now to meet one of her hard- 
est temptations, because of the deceitful manner in 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



135 



which it came. As she was walking along, a beau- 
tiful young lady, of about her same age, stepped 
up along side of her from the rear, and without 
giving Miss Pilgrim time to observe the path 
whereon she had traveled, entered into conversa- 
tion with her. 

" Happy I am that I have found a 
companion so near my own age. I 
hope that we may be congenial to 
each other, so that we can travel this 
path together with mutual profit. ' ' 
"Who are you, and whence came yon?" asked 
Miss Pilgrim. 

"I am a friend of yours from the same city 
whence you came, and I am traveling to the same 
Heaven to which you are going," came the re- 
sponse of the New-Comer. 

"You have a strange outfit. How could you 
have traveled so far on this road without being 
harmed? Where are your equipments V ' 

"I keep them all concealed," came the reply, 
whereat the new companion revealed a sword from 
the loose folds of her garments, ' ' See ! here is my 
sword. Let us exchange just for courtesy's sake." 

1 i If you have used your sword so well up to this 
time, and I have used mine so well, it would be bet- 
ter for us to let well enough alone. ' ' 



A SERMON 
OF BLACK 
DESIGNS 



136 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM, 



"You might as well be sociable and make the 
exchange, ' ' continued the New-Comer. ' ' It may be 
that each of us can do still better with a new 
sword. " Miss Pilgrim was almost in the act of 
complying with the evil request, when an inward 
voice gave her counsel: "Beware, lest any man 
take thy sword." The inward voice troubled her 
so much that she stoutly refused to think any fur- 
ther of making the exchange. The New-Comer, 
being angry at the failure to gain her point, kept 
watching for a good chance whereby she might rob 
Miss Pilgrim of her sword. 

At a moment when Miss Pilgrim was unguarded 
the New-Comer seized her in a foul grasp, and was 
in the act of throwing her to the ground when she 
offered a stout resistance. Then followed a brief 
wrestling match in which no mercy was shown on 
either side. For a moment it appeared that Miss 
Pilgrim was overpowered, when she saw an oppor- 
tunity and with her strong right arm she tore the 
very garments from the back of her assailant, and 
to her horror she discovered that the one who 
seemed to be Miss New-Comer was now revealed 
in his true light in devilish masculine attire. Miss 
Pilgrim having her loins girded with truth and 
having on the breastplate of righteousness, felt no 
harm from all the terrific blows, which the demon 
continued to deliver. In the midst of the hot af- 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 137 

fray Miss Pilgrim succeeded in striking one fatal 
blow with her sword. A sudden change took place, 
for the gasping, writhing form of her contemptible 
foe lay beneath her begging for mercy. 

"You miserable wretch," cried Miss Pilgrim, 
"you deceiver, you liar; had you taken my sword, 
you would have laid me low. You deserve death, 
and if you were mortal I would put an end to you 
at once. How dare you defy one who is clad in 
the panoply of Almighty God? Taste this sharp 
edge once more," she shouted as she again thrust 
the two-edged blade through him. 

A low groan and the victory was complete. Af- 
ter this terrible encounter Miss Pilgrim continued 
her journey more triumphant than ever. She so # on 
overtook a friend who was sore depressed on ac- 
count of the many troubles and persecutions 
through which he had passed. Mr. Depressed 
looked upon the cheerful face of Miss Pilgrim and 
inwardly prayed that he might learn the secret of 
her happiness. Miss Pilgrim, after her natural 
manner, commenced speaking words of cheer to 
her friend, who received them with a kindly spirit. 

A conversation ensued in which Mr. Depressed 
related some of his recent experiences and then 
with an envious tone he asked the following ques- 
tion: 

"Why is it, my friend, that you have such an 



133 THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 

easy time of it? Trouble seems to vanish at your 
appearance, and it seems that good luck is always 
standing around in your way. ' ' 

"I fear that you are looking at me in a wrong 
light," smilingly replied Miss Pilgrim. "It has 
not been long since I passed through a deadly 
struggle and I have had many such experiences 
since I set out toward the gate of Heaven. ' ' 

"Then why is it that you are not cast down?" 

"Because I am obedient to the orders of my 
king. Under no circumstances will I surrender 
any part of my equipment. Thus determined I 
conquer every foe in the name of the living God. 
Surely I have all reason to rejoice when victory 
is mine. ' ' 

"Have you given me the full secret of your 
peace and happiness V 9 further asked Mr. De- 
pressed. 

' i The companions I have also help me to be hap- 
py and cheerful. I have the company of sweet 
angels who minister unto me day and night. If 
you could see them as they hover around me at 
times, your face would shine with a new light and 
your life would also be lived in the charmed cir- 
cle." 

" 'Charmed circle,' " repeated Mr. Depressed. 
"Please give me more light on this." 
; "There is a charmed circle in life in which any 



THE JOURNEY OF MISS PILGRIM. 



139 



one may live who wishes. No matter where they 
go the charm need not be broken, and rich sup- 
plies of blessings can always be had. 

"Let me urge you to get into this circle and 
thereby learn the secret of a happy life: If you 
welcome the angels of mercy, comfort, peace, faith, 
hope, love and purity and a host of others, they 
will surround you and your life will be spent in 
the charmed circle. ' ' 

Miss Pilgrim had no time to tarry longer. She 
hastened away to fill certain engagements. The in- 
fluence of her few words upon Mr. Depressed had 
a wonderful effect, and one by one he welcomed the 
angels until he also realized the great happiness 
of living in the charmed circle. 

The journey of Miss Pilgrim was long and in- 
teresting. It would take a whole book to tell the 
many experiences through which she passed be- 
fore she came in sight of the gate of Heaven. She 
was a valiant soldier to the last and as she reached 
the gates of light she was covered with many a 
scar but was still in possession of her whole ar- 
mor. A beautiful angel conducted her until the 
gates of Heaven swung ajar. Her entrance 
through the shining portals was most glorious and 
triumphant. A choir of angels sang her welcome 
home. After this the gate of Heaven closed and 
it was not seen what else occurred to her, 



The hardships and trials of this 
mortal life will dwindle into insig- 
nificance when the day of victory 
comes. All the heavy burdens of the 
Christian will lose their weight in the 
light of Heaven's gate. Miss Pilgrim 
was a noble character who won her 
way by faith through all the sharp 
conflicts of life. How her heart was 
thrilled with joy as she saw the 
gates of Heaven open to her at the 
end of her journey. The angels that 
came to welcome her sang their 
sweetest celestial melodies. Such a 
glorious end will be experienced by 
each one who puts on the whole armor 
of God and goes forth with courage 
in the battle of right against wrong 
and of sin against darkness. 



140 



■fir §>atatt iFatlrt 




The following narrative is taken from real life. 
The occurrence happened in a farming district in 
one of the populous counties of Pennsylvania. 

Two men owned adjoining farms and they lived 
as neighbors for many years. During the first 
part of this period the relations between the two 
men and their families were pleasant, but unfor- 
tunately a bitter enmity arose between the two 
farmers, which continued from year to year until 
the situation became desperate. 

During the period of this bitterness neither 
farmer L. nor farmer B. made the necessary ad- 
vancements to settle the brewing difficulty. And so 
the feud continued to grow stronger and stronger 
until farmer B. secretly and quietly resolved to 
revenge his neighbor. All this was unknown to 
farmer L., who never went so far as to plan re- 
venge. 

One night, when the moon was peeping out be- 
tween drifting clouds, farmer L. retired early, but 
for some reason his sleep had partly gone from 



144 A TIME WHEN SATAN FAILED, 

him. In the deep hours of the night he arose from 
his bed and walked to the second story rear porch 
of his home, whence he glanced out upon the ever- 
changing scene in the Heavens. A moment later 
he dropped his eyes for a cursory glance across 
the indistinct fields, and to his surprise, he saw his 
neighbor B. walking slowly toward his barn. And 
just as plainly as he saw his neighbor he saw two 
companions with him, one seemed to be dressed in 
white garments and the other clothed in black. 
These two strange companions were unknown to 
farmer L. as he stood intently gazing upon the trio 
where he thought that he could not be seen by 
them. No one, under such circumstances, would 
turn away with indifference and enter the house, 
so he remained to watch what might be the out- 
come of the strange affair. 

The trio slowly advanced and were seemingly 
engaged in a deep, quiet conversation. Farmer B., 
who walked in the middle, was earnestly besieged 
by his two companions. Each one seemed to be en- 
deavoring to make the strongest impression upon 
him. In this strange manner the men continued 
until they came to the fence not far from the barn. 
Here they paused and apparently the conversation 
continued. Farmer L. was greatly perplexed at 
the strange occurrence, and was not able to ad- 



A TIME WHEN SATAN FAILED. 



145 



vance any explanation that would satisfy his own 
mind. All lie could do was to continue watching 
and waiting for developments. 

In a short time, which seemed more like an hour 
than a few moments, the black companion slowly 
left the fence and walked alone across the field in 
a different direction from which the three had 
come. A moment later farmer B. started home- 
ward accompanied by the white companion. Far- 
mer L. watched the two until they were out of 
sight, and he tarried for several hours to see 
whether or not they would return. But nothing 
greeted his gaze except the faithful moon, drifting 
clouds and a night scene of the earth before him. 
Finally he returnd to his couch and rested as best 
he could until daybreak, after which he arose and 
ate scantily of breakfast. He could not shake off 
the impressions of the preceding night, and after 
a few hours of restlessness, he decided to go over 
and speak to farmer B. about what he had seen 
under the light of the quarter moon. 

Farmer B. received his neighbor and story with 
much surprise at first, and after a few moments he 
wept bitterly, and confessed to neighbor L. that in 
the wickedness of his heart, he had planned to set 
his barn on fire the night before. He declared that 
he kept his intentions a secret from everybody, 

10 



146 A TIME WHEN SATAN FAILED. 

even his own wife. Farmer B. then related how he 
proceeded across the field and was unable to go far- 
ther than the fence near the barn. Farmer L. then 
made inquiry concerning the two strange com- 
panions. 

"What two companions, ' ' asked farmer B. 
"The two men who were walking with you 
across the field.' ' 
"Do you mean last night?" 
"Certainly." - 

"Have I not told you that I revealed my plans 
to nobody and that I went alone V 9 

"But I tell you in all honor that I saw two crea- 
tures with you. One was dressed in white and the 
other in black. You walked between them, and 
they seemed to engage your whole attention. ' ' 

"Very strange! very strange!" said farmer B. 
"I surely know of no one who accompanied me." 

Then farmer L. related again the whole story 
slowly and clearly, giving all the details. Every- 
thing corresponded exactly with the confession 
and memory of farmer B. except the part relating 
to the two companions. He admitted, however, 
that he was in a great war with his thoughts. At 
one moment some influence seemed to urge him to 
set the barn on fire, then suddenly he seemed to 
feel as if he ought to return home and not play the 



A TIME WHEN SATAN FAILED. 147 

part of a mean incendiary. Between these two 
forces he claimed that he pushed his way until he 
reached the memorable fence. Here he paused and 
entertained for the last time the idea of setting the 
barn on fire. He yielded to the nobler impulse and 
returned to his home. 

Farmer B. was intensely thankful that he had 
yielded to the better impulse, and asked the pardon 
of his neighbor for the sin of even entertaining 
such an evil plot against him. The pardon was 
graciously granted, after which the two farmers 
were convinced that the companions of the night 
previous, were two representatives from the spirit 
world, one a good angel of mercy, and the other 
a wicked demon. 



I|nfa to (Eott&urt 



A Special Sermon by Satan to Church-Members in all 
parts of the Christian World. 

"I am glad for the opportunity of telling yon 
some up-to-date-truths regarding revival meet- 
ings. The history of the ages has proved that 
some of the methods of condncting revivals are 
not only weak bnt ont of harmony with good taste. 
Enthusiasm has damaged the chnrch through many 
of the world's ages, for you can safely conclude 
that when fanaticism runs away with any congre- 
gation, it is doomed to degenerate. The emotional 
spirit is more manifest among the less intelligent 
people, therefore we must not be too severe in crit- 
icising our fathers and mothers who, under Wesley 
and Whitfield, grew very demonstrative. It was 
very common in those days to hear people calling 
aloud for mercy and shouting, or shedding bitter 
tears of penitence. But thanks to a better age, we 
are not so much afflicted with such scenes, except 
in certain obscure corners. The church will reach 



HOW TO CONDUCT KEVIVAL MEETINGS. 149 

the zenith of its glory only as it throws aside the 
sensational features of its worship." 

"We should hail with delight the dawning of a 
better era when revivals will be conducted in a 
manner more pleasing to the cultured tastes of 
men. We need but look around us to see how rap- 
idly these improved conditions are being adopted. 
Some churches are determined not to keep in step 
with progress, but there is hope that a new genera- 
tion will be more refined. ' 9 

"It is therefore the duty of every progressive 
church-member to discourage any of those old-time 
methods that put the church to ridicule before the 
best thinking people of the world. I feel it to be 
my duty to lay before you my opinion as to what 
is essential to promote an up-to-date revival.' ' 

1. "If you wish to promote a revival secure the 
best possible music. " 

"A small orchestra will be a good hit providing 
it render some drawing selections each evening. If 
you should incur some extra expense on account of 
the music, you can well afford to pay it, as it will 
prove a good investment. You can draw more 
people into the church with an orchestra than you 
can with anything else. The main point is to get 
the people out, no matter what means is used. ' ' 

2. "Do not put much stress on preaching.' ' 



150 HOW TO CONDUCT REVIVAL MEETINGS. 

' ' Many a revival has been killed just because the 
minister insisted on preaching salvation each 
night. This is an old notion and should be put 
into the background. A modern revival of religion 
needs but little gospel. We might as well say, the 
less the better. If there is to be any preaching it 
ought to be of a mild type, and not the kind that 
will sound the fire alarm of destruction. How can 
you expect to do good if you make your hearers 
nervous ? The very class of people whom you are 
trying to reach are liable to stay away if you will 
insist on plain preaching. ' ' 

3. "If possible make the impression that the 
church is an agreeable place. ' ' 

"The world has a gloomy idea of the church just 
because of the manner in which its meetings are 
conducted. After the people have once started to 
come to your church, then you must be careful not 
to introduce anything unpleasant into the services. 
This is where the ingenuity of a good pastor is 
manifest. It is his duty to provide pleasant enter- 
tainment until the visitors are filled with the idea 
that the church is a social place, and not a grave- 
yard lot. It is hardly necessary to suggest what 
kind of meetings should be held in order to please 
people. If the minister has not yet learned the se- 
cret of this art, he is unfit to be the ruling genius 
over a congregation. ' f 



HOW TO CONDUCT REVIVAL MEETINGS. 151 

4. " After you have shown the people the agree- 
ableness of the church, then persuade them to 
join." 

* ' Do not ask them to humiliate themselves before 
the whole congregation. You ought to be glad if 
they are willing to join just as they are. It is your 
work to mould them into a better life by the good 
influence that you should ever throw around them 
after they have joined. Accept people in their sin- 
ful condition and show them by degrees the advan- 
tages of a Christian life, and ere long, they will be 
filled with a desire to be a Christian. Let me warn 
you not to be too strict during the first few years 
of their membership. In all your corrective meas- 
ures act with great caution. " 

5. "Do not insist on church vows at first." 
"Here is where a great majority of churches 

make their mistake. They compel a person to 
stand before the altar and make a lot of binding 
promises which they can never fulfill. The result 
of this is very damaging to the beginner. The bet- 
ter way is to take a person into church-member- 
ship as quietly as possible, and after he has devel- 
oped into greater strength, then you can have some 
kind of a consecration service in which he may 
make certain obligations. By tnat time he will not 
be so much embarrassed." 



152 H0W T0 CONDUCT REVIVAL MEETINGS. 

6. ■ " Never use the altar in revival services.' ' 
"You need not take the altar out of the church, 
you can keep it there for an ornament or for com- 
munion service. It will also serve as a foundation 
on which to place a platform for cantatas and 
other special services of the church. ' - 

"I have given you a few suggestions for con- 
ducting an up-to-date revival meeting. And I 
know of no better advice except to hold no special 
revival services whatever. According to my hon- 
est opinion the best kind of a revival would consist 
in a special week of prayer, in which each member 
of the church should pray privately four or five 
evenings during the week. This method would 
quicken the -religious life of the individual, and 
would result in much more fruit for righteousness 
than the usual practice of gathering together con- 
tinuously evening after evening in the church. This 
public gathering invites too many temptations that 
only weaken the life of the church. It is proved to 
do more harm than good, inasmuch as some of the 
weak Christians have become discouraged upon 
seeing the manner in which others are able to take 
part, and also many become prejudiced against re : 
ligion altogether by seeing the hypocrites, very 
often, take a prominent part in the meetings. Also 
many young people take advantage of such meet- 



* 



HOW TO CONDUCT REVIVAL MEETINGS. 153 

ings and as a result there is an -undue mingling of 
the sexes." 



The purpose of Satan is to overthrow the genu- 
ine kind of revival meetings, which have been the 
secret" of the great religious movements of the 
world. The church of God has been revived in 
every age of the world, and during the special sea- 
sons, when the fires of religious zeal were burning, 
the hearts of the unregenerate have been melted so 
that they were compelled to yield to the mighty in- 
fluence of the Holy Spirit. When the church once 
casts aside the zeal which is born by Holy Ghost 
inspiration, then it will gradually dry up to noth- 
ing and cease to be a power in the world, but we do 
not fear that such a condition will ever come to the 
whole church. There will always be a part of the 
visible church that will honor its Master enough to 
keep the fires burning on the altar, notwithstand- 
ing the low methods used by Satan to extinguish 
totally the sacred flames. * 

The several points of advice given by Satan t© 
promote a good revival are only in keeping with 
his destructive policy. They are all recipes of 



154 HOW TO CONDUCT KEVIVAL MEETINGS. 

death, although some truth is shrewdly mixed with 
his false statements. Satan reveals his meanest 
trait by wilfully mixing truth and error so as to 
mate the untruth appear like the truth. 

Music has its proper place in a revival meeting 
but when you depend upon that to hold people you 
cannot do genuine work. If a church is to be a so- 
cial club then why not advertise it as such, and 
cease operating under a Holy Cross and a Sacred 
Banner. 

It would be expected that Satan is opposed to 
much preaching. Anybody ought to be opposed to 
long profound sermons during a revival meeting, 
but that does not argue that all preaching should 
be abandoned just because certain ministers follow 
in the wrong rut. We pity the revival meeting in 
which the gospel is not presented. Satan has ac- 
tually impressed many members of the church with 
the idea that preaching should be reduced to a 
minimum during revival services. It may be that 
some people are getting tired of the gospel and 
would rather introduce something in its place. 
There is nothing to take the place of gospel preach- 
ing, although many ministers are tiresome, but it 
is due to their individual weaknesses. The gospel 
itself is never weak and it can be presented with in- 
terest during the whole lifetime of a Christian. We 



HOW TO CONDUCT EEVIVAL MEETINGS. 155 

certainly differ from the statement presented by- 
Satan that the preaching should be mild. The 
preaching should be faithful and fiery; earnest 
and candid from beginning to end. If it is a fear- 
less exposition of the whole truth, the spirit of \ 
God has promised to send it home to the hearts of 
the people. Human fear and apology in a sermon 
has the same effect as throwing water on a good 
fire. 

The Devil is very charitable in opening the doors 
of the church to receive all classes of sinners. He 
realizes what effect this would have on the church. 
In a short time the world and the church would be 
one and no one would know what to call the com- 
bination, inasmuch as the church would be lost in 
the confusion and babble of the masses. If you 
cannot persuade a man to accept Christ before he 
joins church, you have but little chance of doing it 
afterward. Let the church, as much as possible, 
be separate from the world. Its great purpose 
ought to be to maintain purity and lift the fallen 
to a better life. With all the effort that can be put 
forth the church will still be compelled to carry as 
much dead timber as it can possibly pull along. 

We expect that Satan will continue his deathly 
sermons until the gospel age will be at an end. No 
doubt there will always be those who will lend an 



10 



156 HOW TO CONDUCT REVIVAL MEETINGS. 

ear to his black doctrines. But let it be under- 
stood, by all who purpose to work for Christ, that 
the only method by which the world can be reach- 
ed will be by the lifting up of Christ to the world, 
whereby he may draw all men unto Him. The 
special revival services will not lose their power if 
those who conduct them will hold to the main feat- 
ures of the olden time. 

1. An earnest prayer leading up to and during 
the services. 

2. An humble dependence on the Holy Spirit. 

3. A consecrated effort on the part of every 
Christian. 




Satan Advances Some Peculiar Arguments on the Use 
of the Popular Weed. 

" There would be no need of discussing the sub- 
ject of tobacco were it not for those who are trying 
to class the use of tobacco among the evils of hu- 
man society. One cannot remain silent when a 
harmless practice is abused by those who know 
least about it. Men and women who know the value 
of the great weed are ever ready to sing its praises. 
It is amusing to see men or women raise up their 
arms in horror at an innocent thing like tobacco, 
while at the same time they wink their eyes at some 
of the great sins, that are eating away the founda- 
tions of home and happiness." 

"The narrow-minded critics never look to see 
the blessings that come to the human family from 
the use of tobacco. Such people would be surpris- 
ed if they knew how many millions of people alive 
to-day would contribute to the erection of a grand 
monument in honor of any man of whom it could 



158 A TOBACCO SEKMON BY SATAN. 

be said that he first gave this innocent weed to the 
world. ' ' 

"I want to say for the comfort of all who have 
learned to appreciate the benefits of tobacco : Do 
not be alarmed, yon will never be robbed of this 
choice blessing. There will always be enongh sen- 
sible people in the world to nphold a good thing. 
If yon are nnmbered with the army of tobacco 
users, yon need not be ashamed of yonr company. 
It is not only the largest army bnt it is composed 
of the most illustrious sons of the hnman family, 
from the honest mechanic to the king on his 
throne. 7 ' 

"Yon may wonder how any one conld be op- 
posed to a practice so beneficial. Allow me to give 
yon a few of the reasons: 

1. "Because tobacco happens to be of a dark 
instead of a light color. If its color were light like 
chewing-gnm, it wonld be considered fit for angels 
to use." 

2. "Becanse it has an unpleasant odor to some. 
Why shonld that be an objection? There are many 
other things that have nnpleasant odors that are. 
considered very good. There are some kinds of 
cheese that are bought on account of their bad 
smellj and the stronger their odor the more they 
are worth. There are certain kinds of foods that 



A TOBACCO SERMON BY SATAN. 159 

have unpleasant odors to some people, and yet that 
does not argue that the food is unfit to eat. The 
reason why tobacco has an unpleasant odor to 
some people is because they are dainty in their 
tastes, or not fully developed in . their physical 
senses. A man or woman of a mature experience 
well knows how to appreciate the pleasant odor of 
tobacco. ' ' 

3. "It is claimed that the use of tobacco is a 
filthy habit, but filth is a flexible word. If we were 
to take a mouthful of our food after it is masticat- 
ed, it would present anything but a pleasant ap- 
pearance. We are in the habit of swallowing food 
after we chew it. Thus it happens that one never 
sees how much filth enters into his stomach. Cer- 
tainly much more than should ever reach there. 
The man who uses tobacco is wise enough not to 
swallow the rich brown liquid, but to expel it from 
his body, and because of this wisdom he is charged 
with being filthy. Would it not be an act of im- , 
prudence if a man should swallow all this liquid! 
I have no apology to make for the man who al- 
lows his mouth, his mustache and clothing to be 
stained with tobacco juice. That is an evidence of 
a man's untidiness, and why should you place the 
blame on the tobacco? You mark my word that 
any person who becomes unclean with tobacco, is 



160 A TOBACCO SEEMON BY SATAN. 



also unclean in many of his other habits. Because 
a person is unclean with a good thing, does not 
argue that the article itself is unfit for use. ,, 

4. "It is further claimed that tobacco is an ex- 
pensive luxury. This phase of the question is 
hardly worth considering. Anything valuable 
costs money, and of all the good things in the 
world, tobacco is one of the cheapest. A man can 
get more solid comfort out of one dollar's worth 
of tobacco than he can by expending the same 
amount of money for anything else in the world, 
even in a lodge or a church. ' ' 

" There are many other foolish reasons given 
against the use of tobacco, but it is only a waste 
of time to consider them. Tobacco has come to 
stay. It is entrenched forever in the affections of 
the human race, and it is hardly necessary to pro- 
duce arguments in favor of it, as it wins its own 
way. It supplies its own demand and nothing else 
in the world can take its place. It has cheered 
many a lonely pilgrim in his journey by day and 
by night ; it has brought comfort to many a heart 
in trouble ; it has sent sweet peace into the bosom 
of the wretch, when nothing else could drown his 
care, and it has instilled quietness into weak nerves 
that would otherwise have become prostrated or 
shattered/ ' 



A TOBACCO SERMON BY SATAfr. 1^1 

Not long ago I heard a popular member of the 
church say that he got more good out of tobacco 
than out of the prayer meeting. The church and 
the world would be better if we heard more such 
words. The best church member is the man who 
knows how to get the good out of this weed. In 
his work he is more cool-headed; in his spirit 
more charitable and in his mind more logical. If 
I had an option on several men, that would be the 
kind of a man I would choose to serve me in any 
cause. 



It is easily known why Satan makes such a 
strong defense of the tobacco habit. It is his 
great century stepping stone from the mild use of 
narcotics to the open door of intemperance. One 
does not like to be too severe in placing a whole- 
sale condemnation upon every person who uses 
tobacco. The warfare has not been waged in this 
direction long enough to open the eyes of all good 
people. The day is not far distant when the mask 
will be torn off of the Devil and the use of tobacco 
will be considered in its true light. No words need 
be lost to prove that the habit is a filthy one, cor- 



11 



162 A TOBACCO SEEMON BY SATAN. 

rupting both body and soul. The use of tobacco 
is also weakening. Countless thousands have been 
wrecked under the terrible blight of this weed, 
and countless thousands more have had the keen- 
est edge of their nervous powers worn off. One 
can never tell how much stronger or healthier he 
might have been in life, had he never been addict- 
ed to the use of this weed. 

Perhaps the weakest argument used by Satan 
is the comfort argument, which indeed ought not 
to be called an argument. It is not a very high 
type of manhood that must look for comfort in a 
cigar, a pipe or a plug of tobacco. If tobacco 
gives comfort it is just because the absence of it 
would make a person irritable. It satisfies the 
craving which it creates, and then because the per- 
son is satisfied he gives the tobacco the credit of 
being a comforter. Of what avail is tobacco when 
great troubles sweep over the soul ? At such times 
we must rely upon the sure help of the Heavenly 
Comforter, or be left to the suffering of a cold 
world. 

The expense of tobacco is worthy of serious con- 
sideration. It is a well known fact that during a 
panic when people are starving, that fathers of 
families will take their last money to buy tobacco 
rather than bread or clothing for their children. 



A TOBACCO SERMON BY SATAN. 



163 



This onl / proves that tobacco holds a controlling 
hand over the will of the individual, proving that 
the use of tobacco so weakens a man that he is un- 
able to exercise his will power as he should. A 
man should not become a slave to anything in this 
life, therefore it is better to master the tobacco 
than to have the tobacco master you. 



The Devil's Free Lunch Cotjnteb. 




Of all the lunch counters controlled by Satan 
none are more shrewdly managed than his free 
lunch counters at the Theological Seminary. He 
offers to give free of charge any kind of lunch of 
which the students wish to partake. He lectures 
in his peculiar way, telling the students that if 
they pay the price for Bible and Moral knowledge 
he will supply anything on the counter free of 
charge. 

Just because one can get these free things so 
easily the counter is well patronized. There is a 
dish called Conceit that is relished by the average 
student. Some eat more than their natural share 
and consequently become top heavy. The Devil 
will give anybody as much conceit as he wants for 
nothing. There is another dish called Doubt which 
is equally relished by some of the students. Some- 
times when the Devil is very busy, he gets some 
of the Seminary professors to help him in dealing 
Doubt to the students. Satan is highly pleased to 
see such distinguished gentlemen working at the 



166 TJHE DEVIL'S FREE LUNCH COUNTER. 

free lunch counter. Some have gone so far as to 
give the students more Doubt than anything else 
and consequently the student's growth is very un- 
profitable. 

It would be impossible to name all the differ- 
ent kinds of dishes that can be found on this pe- 
culiar counter. We find one kind of food is 
Worldly Ambitions, another is Despair, while 
others are intended for the lower instincts of man. 

Altogether too many give heed to the pleasing 
words of the Devil who is ever preaching his little 
sermons behind the counter, and it takes a person 
of strong purpose who is able to reach beyond 
the counter to grasp the better things that are hid- 
den. The situation at the present time compels a 
young man to climb over temptation if he wishes 
to get anything good. He must reach over the 
easily accessible dishes containing Bride, Ego- 
tism, Hatred, Jealousy and the rest of the im- 
mense bill-of-fare provided by Satan to all seek- 
ers after truth and righteousness. 

We are happy to say that Satan does not control 
the keys of the closets. These doors will fly open 
to any earnest mind who is intent upon finding the 
truth. If Satan had the power he would lock every 
door that opens to pure knowledge so tightly that 
neither man nor God could open it. 



THE DEVIL'S FEEE LUNCH COUNTEK. 167 

The free lunch counter loses its attraction to 
all young men whose aims are lofty and whose 
purposes and convictions are pure. We are glad 
to relate that there are throngs of such students 
at the Theological Seminary who are working to 
overcome the influence of the free lunch counter. 
This condition gives hope for the future and 
promises to put to shame the pessimist who is 
prophesying that everything is going bad. Where 
such students are in abundance the Devil is com- 
plaining of dull business. 

We are strong in our convictions that the com- 
ing age will be one in which the present optimist, 
who rides in his beautiful chariot, will have the 
opportunity of seeing the fulfillment of his past 
dreams and the realization of all the blessings 
long foretold. 



I to Kwp ^toph 

Address Delivered Before a Meeting of Evil Spirits. 

Once upon a time, the dark spirits in one of 
their meetings listened to a speech entitled : i ' How 
to Keep People From Going to Church. ' ' We 
need not mention how the meeting opened or the 
preliminary business that was transacted before 
the subject was considered. Suffice to say that at 
the appointed hour, a tall, shrewd agent of the 
Devil stood before a mixed company of evil spirits 
and delivered the following address : 

"It is indeed profitable that we consider such a 
timely subject. By a mutual exchange of opinions 
we become richer in our general stock of wisdom, 
therefore it is good for our cause that we meet in 
gatherings of this kind. How much we were 
profited by the very able remarks we heard at our 
last meeting. Since that time we have been more 
successful in planting the seeds of Infidelity in the 
minds of church members. ' ' 

"If I could hope to do even a tithe as much 
good for our cause by my present effort, I should 
feel well repaid for the work it cost to gather 



HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 159 

these thoughts and suggestions which I am about 
to give you. In regard to church attendance I 
would say that we can never expect to gain de- 
cided progress so long as there is a large number 
of church-going persons. If we could persuade 
people to remain away from the places of worship, 
it would only be a matter of a few years until the 
popular craze of church work would be at a very 
low ebb, and its end would then be in sight.' ' 

' ' Thus I have shown you the importance of this 
subject before I present the subject itself to you. 
"We have cause to congratulate ourselves on the 
great success of our work, and if you will give 
close attention, I will do my little part to throw 
out some useful hints along the line of my subject. 
If I were endeavoring to influence a soul against 
church attendance, I would work along one or 
more of the following lines, which I will now 
briefly indicate: 

1. Kill the influence of the Minister, if possible. 

"This is one of the easiest ways to keep people 
from religious services. If you can get church 
members to lose confidence in their preacher, then, 
even if they should stumble into church, it is not 
likely that they will get any good from what they 
hear. When you undertake to kill the minister's 
influence, you have a right to use any method, 



170 HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FKOM CHUKGH. 

whether it is foul or fair. All that you must keep 
in view is to blacken the preacher's character or 
get the people to question his ability. If you are 
a little careful you can easily determine which 
persons of the congregation will assist you in cir- 
culating wild rumors or spreading some damag- 
ing falsehood. If you follow along this line 'with 
vigor, you will not only gain a point with many of 
the people, but you may also get the preacher to 
believe that it is time for him to resign from the 
ministry. ' ' 

2. Get them to overwork on Saturday. 

"One very effectual way to get people to stay 
away from church on Sunday is to get them to 
overwork themselves on Saturday. Persons of 
ordinary strength can be easily caught in this 
trick. Urge them to work on Saturday until very 
late at night, so that when they retire, they are 
completely exhausted. Then in all likelihood when 
they arise on Sunday morning, they will have a 
severe headache, or be under the spell of a languid 
feeling, that even if they do get to church it will 
not amount to much. ' ' 

3. Sunday visiting. 

"Encourage Sunday excursions and the enter- 
tainment of visitors on Sunday, especially during 
the time covering church hours.' ' 



HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 



171 



i ' I have noticed in my own experience that some 
good Christian people who are bold enough to go 
through fire for their God, are easily caught if 
some smiling friend comes from a distance just 
before church time and refuses to go along to 
meeting. Then again, if we can succeed in getting 
people to entertain company on Sunday, they will 
naturally go to much extra work and thereby 
break the Sabbath day, and this is also a good 
thing for us." At this juncture, one of the listen- 
ers interrupted the speaker with the question : 

"Do you think it is wrong, Mr. Essayist, even 
from a Christian standpoint, for one to entertain 
company on Sunday!" 

"According to Christianity it is not wrong of 
itself, if first of all attention is given to public 
worship and private devotion. ' ' 

i - But what I wish to know is this : Are we gain- 
ing any point if we get a person to stay away from 
church after he has done all that he could do to 
persuade the visitors to accompany him. Is it not 
a case of compulsion on the part of the Christian 
to remain at home under such circumstances?" 

"It appears very much that way, and for that 
reason I have remarked that it is one of the 
shrewdest schemes that we can work. A person 
may not be guilty of sin in each case, but one thing 



11 



172 110 w T0 KEEP PEOPLE F&QM CHUKCH. 

is sure, when lie stays at home, that means one 
more absentee from the church on that day. Even 
che most sanctified Christian is put to his wit's 
end, for he does not wish to walk off to church 
and leave his company at home, nor does he wish 
to order the company out of the house. It cer- 
tainly places a person in a trap from which it is 
hard to escape. Now it is your duty to set the 
trap as often as you possibly can. ' ' 

"I see the point,' ' said the questioner, "and I 
shall make more effort hereafter along this line. 
It's not hard to put a notion in some worldly 
minded person to go and visit a Christian on Sun- 
day morning, and then refuse to go along to 
church with him." 

"Ah!" said the essayist with a smile, "you are 
getting at the point now, and I hope all of you will 
catch the inspiration of these ideas and work 
along this line for all you are worth." 

4. Weather conditions. 

"Make good use of the weather conditions to 
keep people away from church." 
(A) Stormy weather. 

"If it should be stormy, you have an easy argu- 
ment, only be sure to advance it, for ?.t often hap- 
pens that unless you use your influence some 
Christians will go to church through any kind of 



HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 173 

weather. If you are shrewd you can keep many 
people away from church by suggesting to their 
minds the dangers of breathing the damp air and 
the risk that they take of catching cold. If they 
have no rubbers to cover their shoes, use that as 
an argument, and if they happen to have rubbers, 
try and find some fault with them. If there are 
no holes in them, try and make the owners believe 
that the rubbers leak somewhere. ,, 

1 ' Then perhaps you can make a point with the 
umbrella argument. If they should happen to 
have a whole umbrella try and make them believe 
that it is too windy to carry it, or that it is out of 
shape. You understand me, bring up anything 
imaginable, just so you can influence the person 
to stay away from church. Let me give you a little 
of my own experience. ' ' 

"I undertook, not long ago, to persuade a per- 
son to remain away from church in London. Af- 
ter I had gone to much trouble to get within hear- 
ing distance, I played upon the man's mind, but 
I found that he was a stubborn case. He was set 
upon going to church at all hazards. I used a 
common argument but that had no effect. The 
rain was falling quite briskly, and finally I sug- 
gested to him that his umbrella was not large 
enough to keep the rain from the lower part of his 



174 H0W T0 KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 

pantaloons, and, by the way, he had just bought 
a new pair the day before. This was the opening 
wedge and I actually won my point. ' ' 

' ' This is merely an illustration and it is to teach 
you how to work one point after another without 
giving up too easily. You can see that people do 
not imagine that it is our voice speaking to them. 
These suggestions from us are not called tempta- 
tions ; they just look upon them as thoughts aris- 
ing in their minds.' ' 

(B) Fair weather. 

"If it should be very nice weather, then use 
your influence to get people to take a walk in the 
bracing air, during the time they are supposed to 
be in church. Just tell them quietly that they have 
been confined enough through the week, and if 
they should get a little of God's fresh air it would 
be more sensible than to go into a room filled with 
people, and breathe the foul air, to say nothing 
of listening to a long monotonous sermon. In this 
age of wonderful mechanism, do not neglect to 
persuade people to use the bicycle or automobile 
for Sunday riding in fine weather.' ' 

"Be bold in your suggestions. A cowardly 
heart never wins a great scheme. Stick to a per- 
son on Sunday morning until you have engaged 
his mind with one idea after another. Perhaps 



HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 175 

with a multitude of suggestions you will strike 
one weak spot in a person's nature, and that will 
be enough. It pays to work hard to influence a 
soul to do wrong. We can see the fruits of it in 
the weakening of the church. ' ' 
(C) Hot and cold weather. 

"If you are a little shrewd, you will have a 
wonderful help in the extremes of the weather. A 
person is never so easily overcome with our ar- 
guments, as when he has been whipped with the 
boiling sun until the perspiration flows freely. 
Hot weather seems to force people into our line 
and the same is true of cold weather. The oppor- 
tunities of victory are many, and if you are half in 
earnest you can keep most people away from 
church on one pretext or another.' ' 

"Let me give you an instance of one of my sub- 
ordinates. He undertook to keep a woman away 
from church on a hot summer evening. But no, 
she was determined to go. So my friend quietly 
whispered in the secret of her heart: ' Don't you 
know you are liable to faint on such a hot evening 
if you are closely packed in a pew and cannot have 
freedom of motion V " 

"It seems that she had not thought of that be- 
fore and she had a peculiar feeling right after the 
suggestion was given. This was enough, and as 



176 HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FKOM CHUECH. 

simple as it was, she stayed at home that evening. 
There is no fixed law on this point: You must 
simply learn to make use of the circumstances at 
hand. ' ' 

5. Take advantage of social conditions. 

" It is true that in each congregation, some peo- 
ple belong to the poorer class. Now you can work 
a pretty scheme by telling the poor people that 
they are not wanted in that church, especially be- 
cause their clothing is sadly out of style. Then go 
to the rich people and tell them that it is beneath 
their dignity to go to church where so much poor 
trash is found. This plan works well in congre- 
gations where the society feeling is well develop- 
ed. " 

6. Health conditions. 

"We must not be asleep in this fast age of sci- 
entific advancement. Let us make use of every 
possible bit of knowledge to advance our cause. 
Since the discoveries by a man called Pasteur, the 
people have had their eyes opened to the wonder- 
ful world of bacteria and animalculae. You can 
make a very decided impression on the minds of 
the cultured people by reminding them of the ter- 
rible danger to which they are exposed in a poor- 
ly ventilated church, as most churches are. De- 
scribe the germs of disease floating around in the 



HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHUECH. 17? 

air, and in mad glee rushing down the throat, one 
million at every breath. Be sure to tell them that 
if there is one consumptive in the church, that 
they are liable to carry home with them a few 
million living microscopic animals." A certain 
evil spirit then ventured a question: 

' i What should we tell such persons if they 
should turn upon us and bring up the theatre and 
other public gatherings of the world!" 

* - Just tell them that these public halls are ven- 
tilated according to science, and that the average 
church sexton knows nothing about science. The 
less you argue that point the better. If you get 
hold of a stubborn case, then try to shift the ar- 
gument to some other point." 

7. Use the arrows of gossip. 

"I have known cases where everything else 
failed to keep persons away from church until they 
were shot by the arrows of gossip. My essay 
would be incomplete if I should not consider this 
point. It is very easy to hire some woman or 
some man to go to a person and tell him that a 
certain good Christian in the church passed some 
insinuating remark against him. Also be sure to 
let the impression that their going to church is a 
stumbling block to somebody else. This is a 
strong point and has been proved to have a sledge- 
12 



178 HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 

hammer effect upon some of the staunehest Chris- 
tians. You can make certain persons believe that 
they are suffering for Jesus' sake by remaining 
at home. If you do succeed in getting them to 
stay at home, be sure to follow them up, and you 
may succeed in getting them to stay at home quite 
a number of Sundays. Then when you have them 
on slippery paths, you can make them fall with 
more ease." 

8. Stir up controversy whenever possible. 

' ' Stir up a fight whenever you can. Create jeal- 
ousies and develop a spiteful and revengeful na- 
ture. In this manner you can drive out more re- 
ligion in one day than a person can pray into his 
heart in a whole week. Now listen to me carefully 
for some of you do not seem to realize which are 
the strongest weapons of your warfare. Work 
hard to create dissensions, as it takes very little 
to get some church members to fight. They will 
often fight with one another over something worth 
less than a bone. Afterward some of them will 
very likely remain away from church altogether. ' ' 

"When you do get a good fight started, hiss 
them on. Don't worry about how many feathers 
are pulled or how fast the hair flies. The more the 
better. You just stand back and clap your hands 
and cheer them all you can. It is always more en- 



HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHURCH. 179 

joyable to see a set of professing Christians quar- 
rel, than to see a good bulldog fight.' ' 

At this point the essayist came to an abrupt 
ending. The auditors who had cheered enthusi- 
astically during the reading of the essay were also 
cheering lustily at the last sentence, and as soon 
as they realized that the essay was finished, they 
redoubled their cheers. The hosts of Hell will al- 
ways give applause to anything that is damaging 
to the church of Christ or any of its members. 



w i ,„■■■„■..,„.„ pi ,„■„ ■ i WM .ft,,. 

One day we met a man who had listened to many 
a sermon by Satan on the subject of the lower pas- 
sions. He had been told that it was good for a 
man to be like the beast in his body, and in his 
mind to rise beyond the things that are earthly. 
This teaching pleased the man, and consequently 
he tried to develop both sides of his nature so as 
to be well-balanced. The result was just the same 
as if you would throw a weight over the wings of 
a bird and then expect to see it fly away toward the 
blue of Heaven. The man had been told in one 
of Satan 's sermons that nature called only for that 
which should be granted, and therefore that he 
should not deny himself by a constant restraint. 
It would be a long story if we were to tell what 
arguments Satan used to persuade this man to 
live the life of a libertine. He was confused by one 
fallacy after another, until the finer sense of his 
moral taste was perverted. 

Speaking in general it is sadly true that Satan 
takes advantage of human inclinations, and 



SATAN ON SENSUALITY 



181 



strikes his telling blows at the weakest part of 
man's nature. As a result of this condition we 
find that there are many willing disciples who 
gladly render obedience to Satan's black sermons 
of Sensuality and Adultery. These sermons that 
seem to have a wizard influence are whispered in 
the ear of the soul, and blast the flower of purity 
more than cruel frost would blast a rose. 

How sublime is the word of God in its portrayal 
of human nature. It mentions the flesh as one of . 
the chiefest enemies, and teaches that he who con- 
quers this foe is a real hero, and that he will re- 
ceive a more glorious reward than kings bestow 
upon their favorites. 

Look at one of the illustrious characters of the 
New Testament. He forged his way to the front 
through visible and invisible foes that threatened 
to overcome him. Paul proved his strength by 
his steadiness even when the thorn in the flesh was 
pricking out his patience. He lifts up his praises 
to God for this bitter means whereby he was en- 
abled to scale mighty heights in his experience. 
The peculiar type of this conflict brought into ex- 
ercise the strongest parts of his nature. The 
power by which he won this victory was the very 
force that made him master of his times. 

If Satan were honest he would confess that 



182 



SATAN ON SENSUALITY. 



since he did n@t create man, therefore he does not 
know what is essential to his highest development. 
But God, who not only formed but sustains the 
human framework with its conscious soul con- 
nected, knows that the pathway to real achieve- 
ment is rough, and covered with many a thorn. 
The man who is master of the flesh is a world-con- 
queror, and some day he will be luler over an em- 
pire more vast than any that earth ever knew. 

Satan is not satisfied if a person takes one or 
two lessons in crime, or if he travel on the soul- 
deadening path of Sensuality, but he is constantly 
endeavoring to persuade people to travel on one 
or another of the degrading by-paths that lead off 
from Sensuality. One of the most famous of 
these by-paths is the one called Adultery. Satan 
or one of his agents is ever standing at the junc- 
tion of these two roads and putting forth every 
effort to induce those who have gone into Sensu- 
ality to travel off into Adultery. 

As you look at the picture you can see how 
careful Satan is to place the traps of Adultery be- 
hind a cliff of rocks, so that they who travel on the 
path of Sensuality cannot see the destruction into 
which they are so liable to fall. The temptations 
'of the enemy are manifold to persuade people 
into this calamity, and if one sets his foot upon 



SATAN ON SENSUALITY. 



183 



the path of Adultery there are always grinning 
imps enough, as yon see in the picture hiding be- 
hind the rocks, to pull the trap door, so that he 
may suddenly stumble into the abyss of ruin. 

It should be clearly understood that the Devil 
is the sole owner of the many paths that lead off 
from Sensuality. He has one path called Forni- 
cation, upon which many are induced to travel. 
To such he offers a beverage of obscenity which 
so deadens their sensibility that they stumble on 
in crime with a thoughtlessness that is appalling. 

Another by-path of Sensuality is called Concu- 
piscence, which leads off into a vile park. There 
are other by-paths to correspond to every shade 
of sensual sin. Thousands of demons are em- 
ployed all along this black district, sapping the 
life-blood of the millions, and destroying the souls 
of all who allow themselves to become slaves of 
the lower nature, by following the dictates of 
fleshy lusts. 

We would sound a word of warning: Do not 
travel on the general path of Sensuality, which is 
in the territory of the Devil. If you keep off of 
this path you will not be led into any one of the 
terrible places such as are indicated in the picture 
heretofore mentioned. 

The only reward that Satan offers to any one 



184 



SATAN ON SENSUALITY. 



who enters upon Adultery is pollution and defile- 
ment in sugar-coated form. This, when taken, is 
so blackening that its stain cannot be erased from 
the soul by any power except Almighty God, and 
then only at the earnest supplication of the one 
denied 



One cannot travel the By-Path of Adultery without falling 
into one or another of the traps of satan. 



A very pious clergyman, while on his way to 
church one day, met a friend who was under the 
bondage of sin. The minister was very much in- 
terested in the young man's welfare, and he paus- 
ed upon the highway and spoke to him kindly con- 
cerning the terrible consequences of sin. The 
young man was rich and handsome and, by reason 
of his standing in society, he had thus far main- 
tained a neat appearance. 

The handsome young man did not realize how 
far he had gone in sin nor to what extent he was 
bound by dissipation. He was flattered so much 
by his friends, and he seemed to have such a gay 
time, that he was led to imagine that he was en- 
joying the greatest amount of liberty possible. 

"Will you accompany me to yonder church V 9 
requested the minister. 

"For what reason V 9 tersely asked the gentle- 
man. 

"For your own good and the good of others 
pver whom you may have an influence, ' ' 



188 



THE BONDAGE OF SIN. 



"Would you insinuate that I am not good?" 

"I am insinuating nothing. I had only politely 
asked you to go with me to church." 

"Perhaps you think I ought to join church?" 
interrogated the young man with an air of dignity. 

"I am certain that you would be better and hap- 
pier in time and in eternity if you were to forsake 
your sins and unite with the church." 

"Ah!" replied the rich young man, "I will not 
be held down by a set of church rules or by the 
bondage of a Christian life. I am bound to be a 
free man." 

" ' Bound down,' my friend, do you not realize 
that you are already bound a hundred times more 
than you could ever be bound by any church ? Per- 
haps you do not realize that you are already under 
a terrible weight of intemperance, but because of 
your physical strength you are, as yet, bearing it 
with ease. But mark my words, that burden will 
crush you to death if you do not shake it off." 

"Hold on, parson!" interjected the courteous 
gentleman, "you are becoming rather personal. 
If I were a hothead like some men I should reply 
to you with warmth in my words." 

"I hope I have not misjudged you," continued 
the minister. "I had hoped that you would ap- 
preciate the plain words of truth, from one who is 



THE BONDAGE OF SIN. 



189 



ever your true friend. I know I am talking to a 
gentlemanly man, therefore I pray that you will 
give heed to my warning this day. ' ' 

i ' But why do you speak with such alarm in your 
words?" 

" Just because I can clearly see that you are al- 
ready under bonds, which if you do not shake off 
will shackle you to death. Your trouble is not 
only intemperance, my friend, but if your eyes 
were open you could readily see what weights you 
are carrying with you. You are already chained 
by lust, vanity and other weights." 

"Now parson, pardon me for interrupting you 
a second time. It seems to me that you are rather 
impolite in referring to me in such a personal 
manner. ? ' 

"I am your best friend if you only knew it. By 
the help of God I would have you realize that you 
are bound down by something worse than all the 
church rules in the world." 

The young man became irritated so much by 
the words of the minister that he turned away and 
ceased to regard his kindly admonitions. The eye 
of the minister followed him as he proceeded in 
the course of sin and folly. 



13 



©I}? Saloon Erfrtl mh 
Ittrlf Bum 





Once upon a time the Saloon Devil looked up 
into the face of Uncle Sam and asked for employ- 
ment. 

"What kind of work do you want?" said Uncle 
Sam as he bent his tall form to catch the answer 
of the low Devil. 

"To create and satisfy the appetitie for strong 
drink." 

"Very well," answered Uncle Sam, "you may 
go to work at once in any manner you choose. ' ' 

So the Saloon Devil went to work with a high 
hand. He sold to the rising generation and those 
of riper years all manner of intoxicating bever- 
ages. The result of his work was very disastrous. 
He made such things as ruined souls, broken 
hearts, broken homes and all manner of woe, want, 
wretchedness and death, to say nothing of the 
almshouses, asylums and penitentiaries that he 
helped to fill. 

Now it happened that Uncle Sam noticed the 
nature of the work done by this Saloon Devil, who 



192 THE SALOON DEVIL AND UNCLE SAM. 

in turn well knew that Uncle Sam was watching 
him, but the Devil did not know how to cover his 
evil work. Sometime afterward the two met again 
and the following conversation took place: 

"You remember, Mr. Saloon Devil, that I gave 
you permission to do a certain kind of work, but 
I never dreamed that your work would be so hor- 
rible. Now be honest and tell me what you have 
accomplished. ' ' 

"I admit," confessed the Saloon Devil, "that 
my work is looked upon as being disrespectable, 
and I pray that you will this day make me appear 
more decent in the eyes of the public. By reason 
of your great strength and influence you have the 
power to place upon me a new robe of respecta- 
bility. " 

"And how can I do that?" asked Uncle Sam in 
a friendly manner. 

"You can adopt license laws to regulate the li- 
quor business, and by complying with these laws, 
I can do an honorable business under the sanction 
and authority of my great Uncle Sam. ' ' 

"But that will be putting my approval upon 
it," said Uncle Sam suspiciously. 

"You can easily do that with profit to yourself 
by charging me a nice sum for the license. The 
money you get through the granting of licenses 



THE SALOON DEVIL AND UNCLE SAM. 



193 



alone will be more than sufficient to run the public 
schools, so if there is a little harm done by the 
business on one side, there will be untold blessings 
poured out upon your children on the other side. ' 7 

Uncle Sam chuckled in an odd fashion as this 
ingenious scheme was unfolded to him. 4 ' You 
are indeed a clever old Devil, and I have a mind 
to comply with your request. If you pay the 
amount of money I fix, I will protect you in your 
business by making it legal. Then if anyone 
forcibly interferes with you, I will fight him off, 
even if I must use the whole army and navy of 
the United States to accomplish it." 

The Saloon Devil was highly elated over his for- 
tunate deal. He knew that he could not live long 
under natural freedom unless he won some kind of 
public endorsement. He was perfectly willing to 
pay any price that Uncle Sam might demand, 
knowing that he could produce a cheaper grade of 
liquor or sell it at a higher figure, or in some wayy 
conduct the business, so that the extra cost of li-' 
cense would fall upon the consumers instead of 
the saloon-keepers. 

A short time after this, one could see the power- 
ful hand of Uncle Sam placed in protection over 
the Saloon Devil, and the people stood wondering 
at the situation. 

13 



194 THE SALOON DEVIL AND UNCLE SAM. 

The Saloon Devil, although robed in a respect- 
able garment, continued to do the same horrible 
and dirty work as before. It seemed that nothing 
satisfied his greed but the most terrible outrages 
resulting from the use and abuse of intoxicating 
drinks. 

He always put a screen between the outside and 
the inside sign of his business. He rejoiced at the 
thousands of delirium tremens patients that were 
carried to hospitals, or madly tore their way 
through the open door of Hell, reeking, foaming 
and screaming as they went down. The Saloon 
Devil loved crape, and rejoiced time after time as 
he saw it hanging from the doors of homes, where- 
in a son lay dead who had fallen down early under 
the Juggernaut wheels of Alcohol. 

Whenever jails and penitentiaries were too small 
this same Demon laughed in ghoulish glee, and 
when fresh idiots were pushed into crowded asy- 
lums, he grinned with a satisfaction that was sick- 
ening and revolting to contemplate. Whenever a 
frenzied brain directed a murderer's hand to 
plunge a fatal knife or discharge a deadly weapon 
in the Saloon quarrel, this Saloon Devil would cry 
out as he saw the crimson heart's blood flowing in 
spurts: "That's my favorite color now, hurrah 
for blood red." 



THE SALOON DEVIL AND UNCLE SAM. i£ 5 

Such common spectacles as suffering and starv- 
ing orphans and widows served to whet the appe- 
tite of this Demon as seasoning does in the food of 
mortals. If it ever happened that any one told 
him to stop his hellish business he would point 
with pride to his license neatly framed, and de- 
clare that he was doing an honorable business 
under the sanction of Uncle Sam. Just as hon- 
orable as the grocery or dry goods business. 

No tongue or pen can portray the terribleness 
of this whole business. By reason of its wither- 
ing effects, numberless efforts have been made by 
individuals to check the insolent advance of the 
Eum Devil. All these proved of but little account. 
The most effective work has been accomplish- 
ed by one or another of the organizations having 
for their sole aim the overthrow of the Rum Devil. 

One of the movements that has been, and is still 
endeavoring to destroy the Saloon Devil, is called 
Local Option. As this force marches towards the 
enemy, it finds that Uncle Sam and his soldiers 
are standing in defense of the whole liquor busi- 
ness. So Local Option, with much difficulty, must 
labor heavily to operate even on a small area at 
one time. Local Option would accomplish much 
more if it were not for the respectability with 
which uncle Sam has clothed the Saloon Devil. 
One day the Saloon Devil noticed the army of 



196 



THE SALOON DEVIL AND UNCLE SAM. 



W. C. T. U. and he told Uncle Sam that he dread- 
ed that crowd of women about as much as any- 
thing else. "They are so sneaking in their work. 
Their indirect methods and roundabout ways, I 
fear, will do more to cut off my future supply of 
customers than anything else." 

Uncle Sam looked down upon the Saloon Devil 
and asked him what he thought of the Prohibition 
Hosts that were advancing. 

"I shudder with dread as I think of them, but 
so long as I can keep the church blinded to the 
value of a united move against me, I can smile at 
the few votes that fall like lead upon me. I have 
worked harder to keep the saloon question out of 
politics than you can imagine. I always urge peo- 
ple to pray and talk and wait. Every single vote 
that hits a saloon, hits me. Bless you, dear Uncle 
Sam, nothing makes me feel so safe before my 
enemies as your strong arm raised in protection 
over me." 

"Yes, my son," said Uncle Sam, "and you shall 
have my strong arm so long as you pay me such 
large sums of money to carry on your business." 

"What think you of the Anti-Saloon League 
that is arrayed against you!" further asked 
Uncle Sam. 

"I could no more stand before them than I 
could before any of the other powers if it were not 



THE SALOON DEVIL AND UNCLE SAM. 197 

for your blessed hand, my dear Uncle. As long 
as yon place your strong sanction of license au- 
thority upon my head, I shall feel safe from the 
armies that are moving upon me to bring about 
my destruction. ' ? 

"As to the church I have but little fear inas- 
much as the attack from that source is scattered. 
I must admit, " smilingly continued the Devil, 
"that if the church forces were united that they 
could do eternal damage. I am even convinced 
that they would have the power to pull your hand 
off of my head. ' ' 

"Never mind, ' ' said Uncle Sam, "just you go 
ahead creating widows and orphans, filling jails 
and almshouses, sending thousands to the peni- 
tentiary and killing thousands upon thousands 
every year. Just go ahead and blast the hearts 
and hopes of many. Continue your robbing, 
plundering and ruining. I will keep my hand upon 
your head until there are enough voters in my do- 
minion who shall declare that you should no long- 
er be clothed with respectable authority. Then, 
my son, I shall leave you to fight your battles 
alone and not until then." 

How many people think that it would be a good 
thing to take away the hand of protection which 
covers the saloon and in its place let the verdict 
of condemnation fall upon it.? 



i ' These three words in the form of a command 
were spoken many centuries ago, under strange 
circumstances. A certain man was filled with a 
spirit of independence and was controlled by what 
is called an unclean spirit. This unclean influ- 
ence was in reality a dignified and powerful spirit 
who was swaying the man contrary to the wishes 
of one who was called Christ. Consequently when 
Christ approached the man He was in the act of 
displaying His power, when the spirit within the 
man cried out in commanding tones: 'Let us 
alone.' This was done in a cool deliberate man- 
ner and only because Christ was reaching after 
territory which was in the possession of anotha-.. } 9 



LET US ALO^ii:. 



199 



"If it were not for the interference on the part 
of Christ, this world would see what Satan was 
able to do. It is now as it always has been, if any 
person has ill luck or chooses to act mean, all the 
responsibility is placed on the broad shoulders of 
an innocent Devil. All the black crimes of which 
men and women are guilty and all the filthy deeds 
with which they pollute themselves are also made 
chargeable to the Devil. This unjust condition of 
affairs has been going on for several thousand 
years, even before Christ came into the world in 
person. If the Devil had one chance to prove his 
innocence and to show to the world what he could 
do, millions of people would open their eyes in 
astonishment. ' ? 

"The so called unclean spirit that controlled the 
man mentioned in the text is called by all kinds 
of black names, just because he has incurred the 
displeasure of the Great Spirit who created all 
things. Satan works on the same principles that 
govern the nations of the earth. Whatever he 
gains by conquest he claims. I need not pause to 
relate the magnificent conquest through which Sa- 
tan passed in order to gain possession of this man. 
One thing is sure, Satan held possession at the 
time when Christ made his appearance. There- 
fore, I wish to ask, in the name of fairness, who 



LET US ALONE. 



201 



had the right to this man at the time when these 
events occurred? The answer is not hard to find. 
Satan was the indisputable master of that man 
and no one had a right to interfere with him. 
Christ took advantage of the situation and hap- 
pened to meet the man in one of his changeable 
moods. This explains why he stepped aside from 
His regular work of the day to win a convert." 

" It is stated in the same narrative that the man 
was thrown around, which will not be denied. Sa- 
tan did what any soldier would do when attacked. 
He made an effort to defend his possessions. And 
had it not been that he was compelled to fight 
against two, there would have been no question as 
to the outcome. Satan can always conquer a man 
when he gets him alone. And he can always keep 
him under control so long as no one interferes." 

"In the light of all these facts the three words 
of our text are very significant. 'Let us alone' is a 
fitting command from the mouth of a prince who 
is well able to manage his own affairs. I will give 
you a few circumstances under which Satan 
should be left alone. " 

I. " Whenever Satan is in full possession of a 
man or woman he should be left alone so as to 
complete the work which he has already com- 
menced. ' ' 



202 



LET ITS ALONE. 



"The reason why there are so many moral 
wrecks is because Satan is interfered with and no- 
body else understands how to complete the work 
which he has commenced. If Satan is left alone 
he will bring a soul to its highest development 
even though it be over a rough path. ' ' 

2. " Satan should not be disturbed when he is 
training a person to intemperate habits." 

"It is one of the most difficult tasks in the world 
to train a man properly along the line of intemper- 
ance. It often happens that when Satan is about 
to finish his work that some busybody interferes 
and spoils the whole job. Some people are very 
unreasonable in blaming Satan for all the miser- 
able effects of intemperance. Why don't they put 
the blame on the Creator who implanted such a 
craving appetitie in the individual. The Devil is 
the most merciful creature living. He takes a 
man just as he is and tries to give him satisfaction 
along the line of his appetitie, and if the Creator 
has given him a strong will power the man will be 
able to carry out the whole program of the Devil 
and in the end come out a perfect man. Satan 
cries out to-day in his unmistakable language: 
'Let us alone.' We understand our business and 
no one ought to assume the right to spoil the pro- 
gram which we have made. ' ' 



LET US ALONE. 



203 



3. 1 1 Satan should be let alone when he is trying 
to manage the affairs of civil government. ' y 

"It has been of great profit to the world that 
the Devil was permitted to show what he conld do 
when once he holds the reins of state. The best 
results that have been seen on the stage of human 
history have been produced under the guiding 
hand of the so-called black prince of the air. The 
only reason for all this is because Satan is a 
shrewd financier and a safe politician. The most 
illustrious governments of ancient history were 
all under the domination of his Satanic majesty. 
The ruling spirits of the world during the middle 
ages all drank from the cup of knowledge furnish- 
ed by the hand of Satan. The great nations that 
stood between .ancient and modern civilization 
have been the very forces that made possible the 
glorious achievement of later centuries. In regard 
to modern history, no one seems to understand to 
what an important degree Satan has played his 
part on the thrones of kingdoms and the legisla- 
tive halls of republics." 

"In the light of this truth is it not painful to 
see the manner in which some Christians are 
struggling to interfere with Satan in his own king- 
dom. Since Satan has done so well in the past 
why not trust him to the future. We hope that 
this will be done throughout the world." 



204 



LET US ALONE. 



4. ' ' Satan should be positively let alone in the 
heathen countries of the world. Is it not a won- 
derful creature who is able to bring blessings to 
humanity by civilization at one place, and at the 
same time bring blessings through heathendom at 
other places. Satan has a rightful command over 
all the dark nations of the earth, and therefore 
what right has the followers of Christ to inter- 
fere! This very interference has cost not only 
many human lives, but untold pain and suffering 
to the innocent heathens who are involved. 

"These four grand divisions do not comprehend 
all the instances in which Satan should be let 
alone. They are merely samples of the situation. 
And to put the whole matter into a nutshell I 
would assert that Satan should be let alone at all 
times inasmuch as he holds an undoubted claim 
on the world.' ' 



Can anybody mix the truth and the untruth so 
shrewdly as the Devil? Some of his blackest lies 
are made to look a little white just because he 
knows how to do it. The foregoing sermon is 
faulty in construction, faulty in logic and infin- 
itely worse than all that it is as untrue as it can 



LET US ALONE. 



be. We will make no particular mention of the 
first part of the sermon but will confine ourselves 
to the four general reasons which Satan gives to 
urge that he should be left alone. 

1. We do not doubt that Satan would like to be 
left alone when he gets possession of a soul, for 
it is on such kind of soil that he can raise the most 
poisonous weeds if no one opposes his despicable 
work. He knows very well what the result will be 
if he can have his own way in any individual soul. 
He will bring it into full subjection to himself, 
and will thereby deaden the conscience, blast the 
virtue until the last fire of hope has died out. 
Nothing but the blackest ruin lies in the wake of 
his route and if he were to tell the truth he would 
unfold a tale of horrors that would be sickening 
to hear and a thousand times more terrible to ex- 
perience. It is the business of every good mean- 
ing man and woman to interfere as much as pos- 
sible with the work of the Devil in the human soul. 

2. So far as intemperance is concerned it hardly 
seems necessary that anything need be said. The 
church or the world is fully conscious of the man- 
ner in which Satan trains one in intemperance. 
By the time he is through with his training he has 
a body that is bloatd, a pocketbook that is empty, 
a brain that is ruined and a soul that is lost. That 



IB 



206 



LET US ALONE. 



is the highest training mark that the Devil ever 
reaches when he is let alone. 

3. In this third sentence Satan uses his most 
subtle views. He jumbles together one bad asser- 
tion after another as if they were all matter of 
fact. He makes no attempt to prove anything he 
says, and the great majority of his claims are ab- 
solutely false. 

Any one who has studied ancient, medieval or 
modern history is easily convinced that the Devil 
played no particular part in the upbuilding of the 
human race. On the other hand he has played the 
part of holding back the real light from flooding 
over the countries of the globe, whether it be the 
real light of civilization or the light of the cross. 
It was the Devil who inspired the great movement 
to drown out the hopeful light of civilization in 
Greece. It was not so much Xerxes at the head 
of the armies of Asia as it was the Devil. It was 
the Devil who instigated the movements of the 
Crescent against the Cross with the endless tales 
of bloody horror which have not yet ceased. It 
was the Devil who kept the fires of inquisition 
burning so as to retard the progress of religious 
light and liberty. It was the same Devil who ran 
a race to the shores of America to cultivate the 
seeds of slavery and infidelity. What more in- 



LET US AL@NE„ 



207 



stances are required to show that Satan has had a 
black hand and a devastating influence over the 
affairs of men. 

4. The logic that Satan uses to prove that he 
has a right to the heathen countries of the world 
is about as perfect as a broken window pane. It 
is sadly true that he has had his own way in 
many sections of the globe through long centuries 
of time. But this right of possession does not 
argue the right of maintenance, especially when 
the Devil is a liar and a murderer. It is to be ex- 
pected that Satan will oppose the missionary ope- 
ration of the church, for he knows that his king- 
doms are being shaken more and more as the 
kingdom of Christ is established. We may all re- 
joice in the open door of hope through which the 
advancing columns of Christ's army have entered 
with more complete victory ever in sight. The 
Devil need not expect that we will let him alone, 
neither will our God let him alone for he is a 
doomed creature. For yet a little while he may 
show his angel face and his horrid horns, but then 
he will be confined to penal chains. He will then 
be left alone with his own and with those who have 
chosen him for their god, but those who have re- 
jected him will be let alone to work out the glor- 
ious miracles of grace in the light of the millennial 
and the long eternity following. 



I 5ft* Ipbby Jtfartory 



What we here call the Hobbly Factory repre- 
sents one of the most remarkable branches of Sa- 
tan 's industries. It is a place where hobbies are 
manufactured for the use of such persons as can 
be persuaded to ride them. The following is given 
as an outline of an address delivered by Satan to 
the managers of this large factory. 

"I am glad to meet with you on this occasion. 
It gives me great pleasure to look into the faces of 
those who have rendered such excellent service in 
my kingdom. I have called you together at this 
time to give you a few additional instructions rela- 
tive to this particular branch of our work. It is 
quite evident that the use of Hobbies will never 
be out of date and in order for us to do more ef- 
fective work we must improve on our present pat- 
terns, and keep adding new designs as rapidly as 
possible. We have found by past experience that 
we can reach certain people with a wooden horse 
quicker than with one of flesh. 9 ' 

"You deserve much praise for the manner in 



THE HOBBY FACTORY. 



209 



which you have induced many professing Chris- 
tians to become radical and so narrow in their be- 
lief that they can easily confine themselves to rid- 
ing one of these Hobbies. (Riding one idea to 
death.) I admit that you have some professing 
Christians that are hard to handle. They are 
charitable and do not allow themselves to live be- 
tween high and narrow walls where the light can 
reach them at one angle only." 

Note : The Devil does not like Christians whose 
hearts are open to the beams of truth shining 
from any direction. There is a type of broad- 
mindedness that is well pleasing to Satan but not 
that kind in which the sincere heart is ever open 
to conviction. 

As Satan continued to speak to the managers he 
put new earnestness in his voice: 

"Whenever you can make a Hobby so attractive 
that an earnest Christian will confine himself to 
riding it instead of working in the great vineyard 
and sacrificing for Christ, you have won a good 
victory. ' ' 

"In our work we meet with a certain class of 
earnest, devoted Christians on whom our teachings 
have no effect. They are temptation proof and 
Devil proof. What can we better do with such 
people than to get them to ride some Hobby. It 

14 



•210 ] THE HOBBY FACTORY. 

is my experience that this method proves more ef- 
fective than any other. If we can succeed in get- 
ting a good, well balanced worker to run off on 
one line until he believes that his Hobby is the 
best of all, then it may happen that he will look 
down upon his brother as being his inferior in 
righteousness, just because he differs from him in 
opinion. The more we can kill charity among 
brethren, the more will the power of the church be 
crippled. ' ' 

" There are many fault-finding church-members 
who can be persuaded to ride a Hobby. For these 
we ought to have some of special design, so that 
when they ride on them they will be rocked to 
sleep. When their eyes are once closed to the war- 
fare of a Christian's life, they become an easy 
prey to any form of temptation that may come 
along. ' ' 

"I rejoiced greatly as I looked over the wide 
field of our operations to see that we have in use 
several millions of Hobbies. The most of these 
are special doctrinal Hobbies. It is a pleasing 
spectacle to behold so many members of the church 
riding themselves to death on the lifeless horses 
that have been manufactured right here in this 
wonderful building. You, my esteemed managers, 
must not think you are employed in any mean de- 



THE HOBBY FACTORY. 



211 



partment of my service. If you do your work 
well, you are entitled to a rich reward. Even the 
most common branch of my work has its important 
features. In your labors you cannot be too ingeni- 
ous, nor can you be too exact. Spare not the stain- 
ing pot or the paint brush or the finishing mate- 
rials. Your cares and your pains will find reward 
in good results. Just a few days ago I noticed that 
a man of considerable intellectual power, who 
might have made a good worker in the ranks of 
our enemies, was switched off on a tangent and it 
is very likely that the rest of his life will be spent 
in trying to prove that true baptism consists in be- 
ing dipped backward into the water, and that any 
other form is null and void. This is quite a victory 
for our cause. Not because it is wrong to dip a 
person backward, but if we can get a person to be- 
lieve that no other way is right, then he will regard 
many an earnest Christian as being out of har- 
mony with Bible truths. ' ' 




It is very difficult to tell what kind of eccentric 
people the Devil likes the best. There are some 
people who believe that Satan has nothing to do 



212 



THE HOBBY FACTORY. 



with making a man extremely radical on some re- 
ligious doctrine. These same people seem to think 
that there is no Devil mean enough to trespass on 
religious territory, and so they have been working 
side by side with Satan without seeming to know 
it. A person is excused for holding firmly to any 
views that he sincerely believes to be right, so long 
as he is charitable enough to respect another who 
honestly differs from him. 

If a person holds strange views on some doc- 
trine, we ought not to condem him because of that. 
But when such a man believes that his opinion or 
his interpretation of Scripture is absolutely cor- 
rect, and that everybody else who holds a different 
view is wrong, then we have a right to believe that 
he has been tricked by the Devil. It often happens 
that such a person, in his zeal to push his own idea 
to the front, will ride his Hobby to death. And 
when the Hobby falls to pieces the rider usually 
shares bitterly in the calamity. 

Suppose a person is led to believe that Saturday 
is the Scriptural Sabbath. We must not be too 
quick in censuring him for holding such a belief, 
so long as he exercises charity toward those who 
cannot look at the subject as he claims to see it. 
Here is a chance for Satan to do mischief by urg- 
ing a man to violate the first laws of Christianity. 



THE HOBBY FACTORY. 



213 



We have seen people who held views contrary to 
long accepted belief, pass judgment upon all Chris- 
tians who refused to accept their views. Thus they 
placed themselves in a little class by themselves, 
and in an indirect manner, gave everybody else, 
who refused to accept their views, a passport to the 
place outside of Heaven. 

Some of the best people in the world believe in 
plain dress and surely no objection should be of- 
fered against any one for having such convictions. 
It must be admitted that pride is choking out the 
life of many professing Christians. The person 
who rides the Dress Hobby, is the one who is more 
proud of his plain clothing, than some other per- 
sons may be of their gaudy attire. A person can be 
good and do good without boasting much about it. 
We have met people in our lifetime who seem to 
teach by their actions that if others wear clothing 
similar to theirs it will count to them for right- 
eousness. A person cannot be too earnest in work- 
ing for the kingdom of God. The more zeal the 
better. But a person may do service for Satan by 
holding tenaciously to extreme views on one or 
more of the complex questions of theology or 
Christian practice. My friend, get off your Hobby, 
which does not mean that you must change your 
faith or belief, but to remember that it is possible 
for you to be too extreme in your belief. 



214 



THE HOBBY FACTORY. \ 



If we would be like Paul and say 6 6 this one thing 
I do" and let that one thing be the lofty purpose 
which Paul had, then nobody could offer objection 
if we pushed ahead with one end in view. If you 
are in the dark as to what is meant by a Hobby 
rider, we will inform you that you may know him 
by the following : 

1. He rides in an awkward manner, rocking all 
over the whole community, making considerable 
exertion, but scarcely any progress. 
^ 2. He wears colored spectacles. 

3. He thinks everybody ought to ride the same 
kind of a Hobby that he does. 

4. He has cotton in his ears, and prefers not to 
hear anybody who tells him to stop. 

5. He looks toward the sky because he cares 
nothing about how many people he may run into, 
or how many spiritual lives he may wreck. 

6. Very likely he expects that some day his Hob- 
by will be recognized as the greatest thing in the 
world. 




At a certain place along the pathway of right- 
eousness there is a bridge that crosses a dangerous 
stream called Temptation. The bridge is substan- 
tially built and will carry people safely across the 
stream, but aside from that it has no special fea- 
tures, as it is plainly constructed, being built for 
service and not for an ornament. It is well known 
that difficulty or death will come to any one who 
falls into the deep, raging torrent, unless he should 
be rescued by appealing to a power stronger than 
his own. 

Long, long ago, Satan saw the opportunity to 
ensnare souls at this part of life's pathway, so 
he built just above the safe bridge several arched 
bridges of Self-Eeliance, each one so narrow that 
only one person could cross at a time, and even 
then at a great risk. He well know that pilgrims 
would not be foolish enough to risk such a haz- 
ardous crossing if there were nothing more than 
the bridges to invite them from the straight path. 
He overcame this difficulty by placing all manner 



216 



PREACHING AT THE BRIDGE. 



of attractions around these slippery bridges. At 
either end of them are beautiful arches of shrub- 
bery, and above them are various kinds of fruit 
hanging within reach of those who are crossing 
the bridges. Also the side-path leading over to 
the bridges is most inviting and beautifully paved, 
and on either side of it are lawns of surpassing 
beauty. 

It is quite a temptation when travelers come in 
sight of the plain, old bridge to see leading off to 
the left such an inviting path and farther away 
the arched bridges. In addition to this they are 
likely to hear some well rendered music which 
Satan is always willing to provide so as to help 
attract travelers from the way of truth and right- 
eousness. 

It is pleasing to know that with all the attrac- 
tions which Satan has produced, that large num- 
bers are not foolish enough to forsake the safe 
bridge and take so great a risk. Those who are 
determined to pursue a straight course are num- 
bered by the millions. The sad part of the drama 
consists in the yielding on the part of certain trav- 
elers. Satan and his agents are continually trying 
to persuade people to cross the stream on one or 
another of the slippery bridges, by appealing to 
their spirit of independence. 



PEEACHING AT THE BKIDGE. 



217 



There was a young man of strong 
character who was walking towards 
the bridge when he was stopped by 
a familiar voice at the roadside. 

"Hold! hold! my young man, why 
go so rapidly V 9 
"I am making haste, because I am about my 
father's business.' 9 

"Why not turn in here and see the sights V 9 
i i Because I cannot leave my path, ' ' bravely an- 
swered the young man. 

"It will do you no harm," urged the tempter, 
"if you turn aside for a while to look upon the 
wonderful scenery which is close at hand. When 
you have finished you can cross the stream on 
one of the arched bridges, and while passing you 
can eat of the choice fruit overhead. Thus shall 
your mouth be satisfied, and your heart be made 
glad." 

This temptation came to the young man at an 
unfortunate time. Ordinarily he would have been 
strong enough to conquer, but at this time he be- 
came an easy prey, and in less time than it takes 
to relate it, he was seen walking leisurely on the 
beautiful path toward the slippery bridges, his 
step keeping time with the Devil's musk. After 
he had tarried a while on this forbidden ground, 



A SHORT 
SERMON 
TO A 
YOUNG 
MAN 



218 PEE ACHING AT THE BRIDGE. 

there was plenty of fiends in disguise who played 
their part to persuade the young man to cross the 
stream on one of the dangerous bridges. He was 
urged to believe that it would be cowardly to go 
back and cross in the same old regular way. At 
length he placed his feet on one of the slippery 
bridges and thinking that his foothold was firm he 
proceeded with less caution toward the center of 
the bridge. How could he refrain from reaching 
forth and plucking some of the luscious fruit that 
hung above him in such tempting clusters. Quick- 
ly as a flash his feet slipped and he would have 
gone into the stream had it not been for the great 
strength of his arms. First he clung fast and pray- 
ed mightily unto his God for help. Through re- 
pentance and faith he was saved, for a great arm 
of help reached down and rescued him from his 
perilous position. He cautiously crept to the far- 
ther shore and ran to the good old path quite de- 
termined that he would try no more to pass over 
Temptation by depending on his own strength. 

It also chanced that a young lady 
came along the King's Highway and 
seeing Temptation ahead of her, she 
resolved to go past it on the safe 
bridge. She had been warned not to 
heed the voice of the tempter, so as to depend on 



A SHORT 
SERMON 
TO A 
YOUNG 
LADY 



PREACHING AT THE BEIDGE. 



219 



a bridge of Self-Beliance. Notwithstanding her 
good resolution, she was at first attracted by the 
siren strains of music that came from the Devil 's 
orchestra. As she paused to listen, she presently 
heard a sweet voice speaking to her. She was 
somewhat fascinated by the creature who spoke to 
her so entrancingly that she seemed to forget all 
of her past warnings. He spoke to her about the 
glory of Self-Beliance, and tried to persuade her 
that such a bridge was not only beautiful, but ab- 
solutely safe. In one of her thoughtful moments, 
when her eyes were truly open to the real situa- 
tion she was emboldened to ask : 

"How can you engage in this kind of work? Is 
it a source of pleasure to entice people toward 
danger and death?" 

The Tempter was not expecting such a question, 
but he was quickly ready with an answer. 

"Ah! it is plainly evident, my young friend, 
that you have been grossly misinformed. A per- 
son of your intelligence ought not to be so easily 
deceived. We find pleasure in our work, not be- 
cause it leads people to danger and death but be- 
cause we are teaching the noble qualities of inde- 
pendence and self -culture. One of these narrow » 
bridges will prove to be a perfect training school 
to you. Come and prove my words," 



220 



PREACHING AT THE BRIDGE. 



"But why should I risk so narrow a passage 
when the good old bridge promises to carry me 
over safely V 9 

"My dear young friend, how can it be that you 
are so long in grasping the truth. It is plainly 
evident that the old-fashioned bridge is built for 
the accommodation of aged people or religious 
cranks, and a certain few that are so sanctimonious 
that nothing but the plain old way will suit them. 
But look at yourself, you are young, sprightly and 
sure-footed. There is joy in the very experience 
of crossing such a bridge, and some do it so easily 
that they can at the same time look upon the rich 
foliage around and lift their hands to pluck the de- 
licious fruits that hang overhead. In truth, the 
main reason why so many travel over these 
bridges, is because this is the most fashionable 
route. The sweet fruits tickle the palate, and the 
fragrant flowers give charm to the senses." 

After this manner the devilish agents argued for 
the space of an hour, until the young lady, under 
the spell of a second blindness, was persuaded to 
make an attempt at crossing on one of the bridges. 
She at first placed her foot shyly and when she 
found that instead of being slippery the bridge 
was sanded, she ventured with more confidence. 
Before she was half way across she lifted her eyes 



PREACHING AT THE BRIDGE. 



221 



and her hands toward the tempting fruits over- 
head. About this time, her feet having reached 
one of the treacherous places, slipped and she sud- 
denly fell helplessly into the stream. Her piteous 
cries rent the air and after a long, terrible strug- 
gle she was snatched from the jaws of death by 
reason of her earnest confession, repentance and 
faith. 

Not all who thus go down are happily rescued. 
The flood-tide of Temptation has swept and is 
sweeping large numbers into a terrible death. 

It would be a tale too long to relate if one were 
to report all the deathly sermons preached at this 
bridge. The most noticeable feature is the per- 
sistency with which Satan and his agents plead 
with a soul in order that he might win a convert 
for Hell. This indeed is a strong rebuke to the 
workers of righteousness who often think it too 
delicate a matter to speak face to face to a person 
concerning the most important things of life. 

All along the King's Highway there are paths 
leading off to the slippery bridges of Temptation. 
Some manage to travel over one or more of these 
places without any visible harm befalling them. 
This favorable outcome seems to open the way for 
a greater risk and it has always come out true that 
every person who continues on the border line of 



222 PREACHING AT THE BRIDGE. 



Temptation will finally fall to his hurt or his 
death. There is only one safe way. When yon 
come to the places of Temptation pass over them 
on the safe bridge of hope, trust and prayer cou- 
pled with your good works. 




■ Satan has built three slippery bridges over the Stream of 
Temptation, and by ax orchestra he hopes to attract 
travelers toward them from the King's Highway. 



The devil in the sleeping chukch 
or 

The spiritual condition of some congregations. 




There are some places where the Devil need do 
no more preaching. He has succeeded in getting 
the souls of the people asleep, so that they are dead 
as far as real spiritual life is concerned. Accord- 
ing to Satan's estimate, such a church is safe only 
in the hands of preachers who know nothing about 
experimental religion. If ever the Devil takes it 
easy, it is when he gets into a church of this kind. 
But while he rejoices at such a time, he is soon 
brought to his sober senses when he reflects on the 
condition of many of the other churches, where he 
has failed to gain his point. 

It is no easy task to put a whole church asleep. 
The hardest battle begins when the majority of the 
members are becoming dead. The faithful minor- 
ity, seeing the trend of affairs, is likely to stir 
themselves to greater vigilance than ever in the 
hope of reviving the church to its old-time life and 
energy. Then comes, in all probability, the great 
battle. The worldly element, being in the majority, 
will likely work all manner of schemes to drive out 
the annoying minority. Many a man has been 

15 



226 WHERE THE DEVIL NEED NOT PREACH. 

driven out of the church just because he had too 
much of the spirit of God in him. It is also true 
that many a man drives himself out of the church 
by his own contrary spirit. It is not this class to 
which we make reference. 

It has happened in altogether too many cases 
that the worldly element has won in the contest, 
and consequently, the little life that is left is easily 
choked out. As you study the spiritual status of 
such a congregation, you will find that the condi- 
tion is quite similar to that which is pictured in 
the illustration accompanying this chapter. 

Look for a moment at the picture and see how 
the minister has dropped down into a dead slum- 
ber. His spiritual condition is very well suited to 
his congregation, who are all spiritually dead. 
Everything else about this church presents an at- 
tractive appearance. Both the interior and the ex- 
terior are of modern design, and the design is sym- 
metrical. The only dark feature is that which can 
be seen on the picture. The members of the con- 
gregation are void of spiritual life and are dead 
to that powerful current of spiritual impulse that 
should fill and thrill every congregation. 

One creature above all the rest is thoroughly sat- 
isfied with this sad condition. You can see as you 
scan the picture that Satan occupies a leaning seat 



WHEKE THE DEVIL NEED NOT PREACH. 



near the pulpit, with his feet thrown over the sa- 
cred altar, and his head cast backward in the full 
enjoyment of a good cigar. There is a fiendish 
smile playing upon his face as he watches the 
smoke curling above his head, until it touches the 
ceiling of the large church. You will find a differ- 
ent attitude to Satan if you were to see him in a 
spiritual congregation. Here he takes no time to 
smoke cigars, but he is the busiest man in the 
crowd, ever trying to stir up discord or engender 
strife among the church people. Satan is power- 
less when he comes in contact with an earnest 
Christian, one who is watchful and prayerful 
every day. Against the weapons of such a man 
Satan cannot advance, but is compelled to suffer 
defeat. 

What kind of an earthquake would it take to 
bring a sleeping church back to life? We cannot 
answer this question. It is a problem too difficult 
for solution. All we need to say to such a church, , 
after it has turned a deaf ear to all the words of 
warning, is this: " Sleep on and take thy rest." 
Or we might address it in the language of that ear- 
nest writer: " Awake thou that sleepest." The 
time will come when those who are not awake will 
be cast into outer darkness where there will be 
weeping and gnashing of teeth. 



Sill all (£am?B &0ljt 




Satan's Song to Encourage Idleness and Indifference. 



"In life, my friend, as yon pass along, 
You need not grieve if things go wrong. 
Sit down in peace and sing a song 
Till all comes right.' ' 

"You've heard it said, 'Go and do yonr best 
Till life 's snn sinks into the West, ' 
'Tis better far to take a rest 

Till all comes right." 

"If yon are troubled with some belief, 
Or feel the pangs of coming grief, 
The winds and waves will bring relief 
Till all comes right.' ' 

' ' Instead of climbing a craggy cliff, 
Or sailing in some dangerous skiff, 
Just lie and breathe with easy sniff 
Till all comes right." 

"When things go rough and you're in a squeeze. 
Just hold your breath and take your ease, 
Doing the very things you please, 
Till all comes right." 



TILL ALL COMES RIGHT. 

"Be not deceived by the toiler's thrift, 
Get what you can, as nature's gift, 
Let all things take an easy drift 
Till all comes right.' ' 

"Bewards all come in the present slice, 
Don't look for future Paradise, 
Take Heaven now, is my advice, 
And you will be right. 

' 1 Throw to the winds all belief in Hell, 
Be called a fool, or infidel, 
Bury your creeds in an oyster shell, 
Then you are right. ' ' 





A. certain young man 
who was serving the 



King of Eighteousness, was very liberally re- 
warded with many gems of value. These he 
prized very highly, and as he went from place 
to place he exhibited the diamonds and especially 
the Pearl of great price. He fervently preached to 
all he met the manner in which he obtained these 
riches, and many, to their great joy, were influ- 
enced to accept the same kind of valuables. 

One day the enemy of souls approached the 
young man, and being disguised, he occasioned no 
alarm. 

"I have heard it said that you are in possession 
of great riches. Is the report true ? ' ' 

The young man turned toward the questioner, 
and innocently told him that the report was true 
and that even now he was in possession of the 
precious gems. 

" Where did you gain possession of your highly 
esteemed gifts V further asked the Evil One, in a 
manner bordering ur>on indifference. 



TWO KINDS OF KICHES. 



231 



" These I obtained from the King of Righteous- 
ness, and they are better than all the riches of the 
world combined, " calmly and boldly affirmed the 
young man. 

"What a dupe you are to believe 
such nonsense. If you take pleasure 
in seeing things of great worth, let 
me show you a few specimens just 
taken from my burglar-proof vault.' ' 
At this the Devil laid bare a few shining, but 
worthless articles, which appeared like gold. 
"These are of special value,' ' continued the fiend, 
i 1 and if I could persuade you to make an exchange 
you would be one of the wealthiest young men in 
all these regions. ' ' 

The young man, after a moment's reflection, de- 
cided not to accept any of the offered articles. 
Then the Black Agent told him in earnestness, that 
if he would make an exchange, he would receive ex- 
tra a free ticket entitling him to enter a feast of 
worldly pleasure, adapted especially for a Chris- 
tian man. The enemy noticed that he had touched 
the young man's heart, for he was beginning to 
ask questions. 

"If I should decide to accept your generous of- 
fer, when would the exchange be made?" 

" All you need to do is to empty your possessions 



SATAN 
PREACHES 
A SHORT 
SERMON 



232 



TWO KINDS OF RICHES. 



upon my table, and at once these valuables will be 
yours." 

The young man reflected for a moment, and then, 
as if blind, he took the real valuables from his 
pockets, and threw them upon the table. At once 
he received in exchange something worse than 
wood, and as light as feathers. He also accepted 
the free ticket with a thankful heart. 

One night, a short time after this, 
the young man dreamed, and in his 
dream he saw a man that looked like 
himself. He beheld this person as 
he traveled upon a broad path and 
noticed that he had the same kind of possessions 
that had been given to him by the Devil. He fas- 
tened his eyes upon the man even until he came 
to a place where he was asked to place his posses- 
sions upon the judgment balance. A moment later 
a sad verdict was heard: "Thou art weighed in 
the balances, and art found wanting. ' ? 

The dream had a wonderful effect on the young 
man. He gazed upon his worthless possessions 
and refused to listen any further to the voice of 
the Tempter, but rather chose to obey the voice of 
a true friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 

"Cast away all your worthless trash," came a 
voice from some unseen source. 



THE DREAM 

OF THE 
JUDGMENT 
BALANCE 



TWO KINDS OF KICHES. 233 



The young man went to prayer, and when he 
surrendered all he had, the loving Master gave un- 
to him another consignment of imperishable dia- 
monds, in connection with the Pearl of great price. 
With this endowment he was gloriously happy, 
and he succeeded in overcoming the wretched ene- 
my who sought time after time to deceive him. 

After this same manner Satan is endeavoring to 
deceive every young man and woman who comes 
into possession of the true kind of riches. Is it 
not proper to keep on the lookout for such an 
enemy lest he should steal upon us unawares in 
some false garb? Let no one be so foolish as to 
throw aside the Pearl of great price, and the per- 
fect gems of truth, for the worthless trash that 
Satan offers in exchange for them. 




Preached to a Man who had an Inquiring Mind, but who 
was Inclined Toward Atheism. 

"I am glad to see, nay friend, that you are in- 
terested in a subject of extraordinary interest. 
Your inquiring mind naturally looks for evidence 
before you can believe. You are indeed wiser than 
the great majority of mankind who accept any be- 
lief just because it was endorsed by their fore- 
fathers. This accounts for the large number of 
people in the world who are looking upward to an 
unseen God. Is it not strange that so large a part 
of the human family should be so deceived? 
Therefore I feel the more like congratulating you 
because of your tendency toward original investi- 
gation. ' ' 

1 ' The God on whom Christians falsely depend is 
said to be mighty in power and perfect in wisdom, 
love, mercy and goodness. If God were perfect in 
love, and power, how could he permit what he 
does? With these great gifts, he could order 
everything to his own choosing, and we would not 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



235 



see so much suffering in this world. The very fact 
that a helpless, innocent child must suffer some- 
times untold pain, and a loving mother must en^ 
dure such endless privations and hardships, are 
sufficient to prove that love does not rule in the 
affairs of the world. If love were at the helm, the 
farmer would not be compelled to contend with all 
manner of enemies when he is laboring to raise 
useful products. Every good seed that he puts 
into the ground is almost sure to be opposed by 
some insect or parasite that seeks its ruin." 

"As you look over the whole field of nature you 
find that the vegetable creation is cursed by a 
brood of bugs and worms, too numerous to men- 
tion. How could all this be the outgrowth of per- 
fect love? If you love a person your whole aim 
is to make it as easy and comfortable as possible 
for him to make a living. The lover does not take 
pleasure in heaping burdens on his beloved. ' ' 

"Then look at the long line of catastrophes and 
wrecks on sea and land, by which thousands of in- 
nocent creatures are hurled into a terrible death, 
without an hour's warning. Surely a person can- 
not call this the result of perfect love in the world. 
One of the strangest things about Christianity is 
that its believers teach that Christ so loved the 
world that he died to save it, and then at the same 



236 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



time they seem to believe that he so hates the world 
as to permit all manner of misery and woe to 
come upon his people." 

' ' No doubt you have often studied the laws that 
govern the winds and the waves. If a mad cyclone 
should dash you to pieces, do you think that even 
then you would be in the hollow of the hand of 
this imaginary God? It must indeed be a loving 
God who will hurl a cyclone across the beautiful 
land of his own making, or destroy the human lives 
of thousands which he is supposed to love. Ah! 
my friend, you are indeed too wise to accept such 
a doctrine. It is better for you to stand alone in 
your belief, than to be so unreasonable as to accept 
such views of an unseen Creator. ' ' 

"If God is perfect in power and wisdom, why 
does he not extirpate from the ranks of human 
habitation the horrors of leprosy, burning fevers, 
and anything else that sends its withering blasts 
over certain parts of the Earth? One might ex- 
cuse a person for believing in the necessity of a 
limited suffering for human beings, but the whole 
argument comes to an end when you think about 
the suffering of the brute creation. What has the 
brute done that he should be punished by priva- 
tions and sufferings too numerous to mention! 
How is it possible to account for this suffering in 
the light of perfect love?" 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



237 



"You have often looked at the general condition 
of affairs. No doubt you have seen a chicken hawk 
descending without mercy and robbing the hen of 
her beloved offspring, or you have heard about the 
mink or the weasel, the meanest of all created 
pests, slyly creeping to a chicken coop at night, 
and killing a dozen or more useful fowls, all for 
the mere sake of filling his stomach with their own 
life blood. A loving God would kill every mink 
and weasel in the world, as well as paralyze the 
arm of every base fellow who forces his assault 
upon some innocent child along the highway. ' ' 

"Now, my friend, I ask you to meditate on these 
things which I have presented to your mind. When 
you have thoroughly digested them, I will see you 
again and present some of the more advanced ar- 
guments to prove that there is no God. ' ' 



If each person was as thoroughly convinced of 
the existence of God as Satan, there would be no 
Atheists in the world. The Devil knows what 
power it was that cast him out of Heaven, and be- 
fore whose power he trembles even to-day. The 
great fact of the existence of God, is the one grind- 
ing truth that ever adds misery upon misery to 



C 





238 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



Satan, and which destroys his ambition of ulti- 
mately ruling in Heaven and Hell combined. 

Satan knows very well the best ways to deceive 
people, the majority of whom look no further than 
the mere surface of things, and then jump at con- 
clusions. The Devil takes advantage of this con- 
dition and by dishonest reasoning, he leads people 
into errors of the worst type. 

The evidences of God's existence are clear 
enough to satisfy any reasonable mind, even if 
there were no -Bible. It can be seen from nature 
alone that a supreme intelligence is ruling over all, 
and that he possesses the attributes of infinite 
power and perfect love. Satan falsely argues that 
if God possesses such power that he would crush 
out all the evil in the world, which seems to be a 
fair conclusion to a person who will not or cannot 
reason. To such a one, permit us to say, that God, 
in his wisdom, has so arranged things that every- 
body who serves Him must do so through choice. 
One of the greatest gifts ever bestowed upon man 
is his free moral agency, which means his power 
to do good against the wish of the Devil, or to do 
evil against the will of God. This tremendous 
force would be of no value whatever if God would 
make it impossible for man to sin. What virtue 
would there be in goodness if a person could not 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



239 



be otherwise. A man would then be like a ma- 
chine, moving at the will of the operator. Under 
the present management a man chooses for himself 
whom he will serve, and we will venture the asser- 
tion that one who breaks away from sin, and 
pushes his way up toward the throne of Heaven, 
is worth more than a hundred Adams living in 
the Garden of Eden, providing there were no pos- 
sibility for them to sin. 

When we can once accept the fact of man's free 
moral agency, then the way is opened to grasp the 
more mysterious truths concerning the presence 
of sin in the world. It is through sin that all the 
pain, misery and wretchedness came into this 
world. If God had made no provision for man to 
conquer sin, and its consequences, it might seem as 
if He were unkind, but since He has made ample 
provision for us to overcome sin, we are led to 
see his glory in a brighter light than ever. The 
highest manifestation of his love is seen as we con- 
template the manner in which he bridges the chasm 
between spiritual life and death. 

Concerning accidents, we would say that no man 
of fair judgment will try to account for each de- 
tail of every accident. The reason for this is that 
we cannot see the end from the beginning nor the 
beginning from the end. Who knows how many 



15 



240 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



hidden mysteries, how much retribution, or how 
many new lessons are given to humanity by every 
shocking accident in the world, It is presumptu- 
ous that we who look upon the mere surface, should 
be shallow enough to criticise the infinite mind who 
penetrates the ages past, discerns the passing 
events and foresees the future. Suppose a father 
is suddenly taken from a large family for whom 
he has made no provision in advance of his death, 
we must not be shallow enough to judge the whole 
event in the little light of the present time. There 
is a flood-light coming down to us from the past, 
and a reflex light from the years to come, that give 
more explanation to the matters of Providence 
than all else in the world. Things do not happen 
because God foreknows them, but God foreknows 
them because they are going to happen, and the 
reason why they are going to happen is largely 
found in the mighty will power of man exercised 
either for good or evil. 

Concerning the enemies of the animal creation, 
such as the mink or the weasel which Satan men- 
tions, it hardly seems necessary that any rebuttal 
should be offered. The whole family of parasites, 
from the louse on a child's head, to the weasel, are 
living and thriving on this globe as the conse- 
quence of sin. They all play their part to make 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



241 



man pay the penalty prononnced by God that he 
must earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. 
Man who made ont of Heaven a Hell by his dis- 
obedience in Eden, must learn, by working hard, 
to make a Heaven ont of Hell. Things have been 
so arranged that it is possible for man to fight his 
several thousand enemies and yet gain a livelihood, 
and win for himself an imperishable gift and lay 
up treasures in Heaven. 

If one looks on the other side of the question and 
sees what unmatched wisdom is displayed in every 
part of creation, he will see very clearly the evi- 
dences of God all around him. Looking at nature 
through a microscope, we see great wonders con- 
fined to small areas, and a perfect adjustment of 
means to end. Looking at nature through a tele- 
scope we see the larger things of creation more 
plainly, and we are thrilled with sublimity as the 
great truth dawns upon us that there is no end to 
created worlds, and that the millions of spheres 
are hanging upon nothing but the one power which 
is greater than them all. Each one of these great 
orbs is moving with an accuracy that wins the 
highest admiration of man and shows forth the 
unbounded and unfailing resources of Him who 
made all things. Here we have before us an end- 
less field of study. Look away from the worlds 

16 



24:2 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



of space, we find that the human body alone is so 
wonderful that the most searching scientists or 
philosophers cannot comprehend the mysteries of 
this living organism. Such conditions tell us, in 
mute eloquence, of the great Creator. There are 
over seven hundred evidences of superior wisdom 
in the human body alone. It is truly a wonderful, 
self-oiling, self-appropriating machine which can 
run for seventy years or more if you throw enough 
coal into the furnace (food into the stomach) to 
keep it in power. 

So much for the human body,' but how vastly su- 
perior is the intricate network of the brain. No 
one has yet offered a satisfactory explanation of 
the manner in which mind works on matter or 
matter works on mind. Here is a shoreless ocean 
on which no Columbus ever embarked. 

The Atheist must be blind to the millions of 
facts that are crowding upon his mind from the 
world of matter and the world of mind. These 
point to a force which is superior to Creation, and 
to admit the existence of such a power is the most 
reasonable thing that a rational man can do. Athe- 
ism and true culture cannot join arms. They are 
oppo sites forever, or until the harmony of the 
spheres can be explained on some other basis than 
the existence of a supreme intelligence. 



SATAN ON ATHEISM. 



243 



It must not be denied that there is a true God 
whose character is laid open to our view in the 
book of revelation called the Bible. They who be- 
lieve and serve Him will some day have the priv- 
ilege of studying in the greater school beyond this 
life. But they who reject Him will suffer the con- 
sequences of their own folly, and taste the fruit of 
their own making. 



I j 1 

A Short Sermon by Satan Delivered to Graduates of the 
Theological Seminary. 

"Let me give you some twentieth century light 
on the vital question of Heaven and Hell. You 
are now in a fit condition to receive advanced 
truths, for you have finished your seminary train- 
ing and are able to reason logically. Congratula- 
tions to you on your attainments. Nothing is so 
refreshing as to meet a broadminded man, espec- 
ially one who expects to work in the capacity of a 
public teacher. 

"You are now able to understand the difference 
between the figurative and literal language of the 
Bible, and since you are able to grasp divine 
truths with more facility, you must be careful that 
you do not despise the old fathers of the church, 
who half a century ago earnestly preached their 
views, even though they hit wide of the mark." 

"Let it be said to the credit of the old-time theo- 
logians that they preached straight to the point 
on the subject of Heaven. And indeed when talk- 



HEAVEN AND HELL. 



245 



ing on this subject, they had ample material to 
engage their most talented powers, for no preach- 
er could possibly exaggerate the infinite degrees 
of glory and the unparalleled beauties of Heaven, 
It seems almost incredible that these same minis- 
ters should have gone so far from the truth in 
their consideration of Hell. Although they have 
preached some ridiculous views, it is now your 
duty to correct as far as possible the mistakes of 
the past centuries, and place this subject in a clear 
light before the people of the present day. I will 
give you a few things to remember, so that you 
can hold to the truth more readily: 

1. "Do not deny the existence of Hell, only be 
careful to tell people that it means the grave, and, 
in some cases, the word refers to the destruction 
of the body and soul after death.' 1 

2. "Be sure to spare the human mind the harsh 
conception of fire and brimstone. Tell them that 
such figures of speech were intended for a more 
illiterate age. The better way would be to keep 
silent altogether on such rude passages unless you 
are questioned concerning them." 

3. "Since you are now able to discern between 
the genuine scriptures and the parts that have a 
doubtful origin, you can easily throw aside many 
of the distorting passages, and thus show that the 
modern views of Hell are Scriptural. ' ' 



246 



HEAVEN AND HELL. 



4. "You have also learned that the doctrines of 
the love of God would require your whole life 
time to preach. Why spend time in unfolding 
such blood-curdling tales as the "Rich Man and 
Lazarus/' a story unfit for children and women to 
read. ' ' 



1. Satan forgot to say that the passages of 
Scripture that refer to punishment in Hell are as 
clearly stated as the passages that refer to the en- 
joyments of Heaven. It is therefore impossible 
to throw aside one class of passages without cast- 
ing aside the other class. 

2. Satan forgot to mention that the old time 
preaching of the terrors of Hell and the glories of 
Heaven brought a larger percentage of the people 
to Christ than the modern, exclusive preaching of 
God's love. 

3. Satan knows that if the opinions of the age 
do not change that there will be less people fleeing 
from the wrath to come. Many are comforting 
themselves by the happy thought that all people 
will be finally saved except a very few who ulti- 
mately refuse all offers of mercy. 




An Essay Delivered to the Devil and his Cabinet by a 
Theological Specialist in the Employ of the Devil. 

"I appreciate very much this opportunity of 
presenting to you some views and suggestions on 
the subject of preaching. You are all aware that I 
have been engaged for a long period in studying 
and investigating the pulpit work of ministers. 
Perhaps it is for this reason that I am favored 
now with the honor of addressing you. I have 
carefully observed the methods of the most talent- 
ed clergymen, and I have noted the elements of 
preaching that are most effective against our work. 
I shall endeavor to give you the benefit of my long 
experience, in the hope that you may be inspired 
to operate along some new and more efficient 
lines. ' 9 

"You will all agree with me that things are 
drifting in the right direction, but there are still 
some serious hindrances to our work. These, I am 
quite sure, we can partly overcome, if we all work 
unitedly on some general plan, the outlines of 
which I shall present to you to the best of my abil- 
ity in eight distinct lines of thought. ' ' 



248 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



"You will agree with me that 
things are drifting in the right 
direction, but there are still some 
serious hindrances to our work. 
These, I am quite sure, we can 
partly overcome, if we all work 
unitedly on some general plan, 
the outlines of which I shall pre- 
sent to you to the best of my abil- 
ity in eight distinct lines of 
thought. ' ' 

1. "Let us advocate shorter 
sermons. ' ' 

"If we keep hammering away 
at this modern idea we are sure 
of being well paid for our work. 
No matter how short a sermon is, 
we can work to make it still 
shorter. It is best to urge that a 
minister of genuine intelligence 
need not take a half hour or more 
to express his views on a given 
subject, since he speaks so often 
to the same congregation. The 
smarter he is the less time he will 
require, and the less intelligent he 
is the more time he will require. 
That is the thought that we ought 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



249 



to impress as strongly as possi- 
ble. If we can succeed in cutting 
the length of sermons one half, I 
feel assured that it will be a great 
victory for us." 

6 i What is the best reason that 
you can give to a preacher, in urg- 
ing him to preach shorter ser- 
mons V 9 asked one of the cabinet 
members. 

' ' Besides what I have just 
given you, I would declare that 
the people, on an average, are 
now twice as systematic in their 
way of thinking, and they prefer 
good quality in smaller packages. 
And then I should also say that it 
is far better to send a few truths 
home to the heart than to cause 
confusion by a long, tedious pre- 
sentation. ' ' 

2. " There should be as little 
Scripture as possible quoted in a 
sermon. ' ' 

6 ' If this can be accomplished it 
will certainly be a great hit. Tell 
a preacher that it is no longer 
necessary to be reading from the 



250 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



source of authority, inasmuon as 
it is supposed that the general 
mass of people are acquainted 
with the Bible. Just remind the 
preacher that this is casting re- 
flections on his audience and that 
he should spend more time in tell- 
ing them something new, instead 
of telling them indirectly that 
they do not know the Bible. If 
you have the right kind of a 
preacher just finish by saying: 
4 Every time you quote Scripture 
it is like putting sawdust into the 
gravy. ? " 

3. "Eliminate as much as pos- 
sible all reference to Christ in the 
preaching. ' ' 

"I admit that this is one of the 
hardest things that we have to 
accomplish, and likely it will be 
impossible to gain this point with 
a large number of the preachers. 
But I feel quite certain that we 
can persuade not a few to put 
Christ in the background. The 
best way is to appeal to the 
preacher's pride, and tell him 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



251 



that if lie wishes to be really modern, and up-to- 
date, he must cut a new swath in the harvest field 
of the present age. You might as well insist that 
the old preachers made themselves obnoxious by 
their constant allusion to Christ. Such references 
are always painful to the average hearer, as it sug- 
gests the dark and tragic scene of Calvary. Tell 
him that it is his duty to spare his hearers, many 
of whom have sensitive nerves. ' ' 

' ' Allow me to relate a little circumstance that 
occurred recently. A smart Devil was arguing 
with a swell preacher, and he told him that years 
ago when ministers were more limited in their ed- 
ucation, they were compelled to make endless ref- 
erences to Christ, so as to fill in the time. 'But 
now,' continued the Devil, 'some men are smart 
enough to preach a whole sermon without men- 
tioning Christ. ' On this particular point the Devil 
won, for the minister seemed to think that the less 
of Christ he put into his sermon, the greater was 
his knowledge supposed to be. Let me urge you to 
work this scheme whenever possible.' ' 

4. "We should endeavor to stop all preaching 
about Hell." 

"Along this line we have gained remarkable pro- 
gress during the past fifty years. Our efforts have 
been fruitful, for we can see all around us that the 
idea of Hell is out of date. The preacher who 



252 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



still persists in presenting the 
old-time views on this subject, 
must be willing to be branded as 
unwise and illiterate. It would 
be a thousand times better if we 
could persuade ministers to 
preach the doctrine of Purgatory. 
Then men could sin as much as 
necessity demands, and after 
death they would serve their time 
in Purgatory, after which they 
would be transported into ever- 
lasting Heaven. If you meet a 
man upon whose mind you can 
impress the Purgatory views, tell 
him that all the passages in the 
Bible relating to future punish- 
ment are figurative, and that they 
bear a meaning entirely different 
from the literal. ' ' 

5. "Let us insist cn more Sci- 
ence and Philosophy to be inter- 
woven in present-day sermons, as 
well as the principal current 
events. ' ' 

"It is true that some preachers 
will urge that they were not call- 
ed to teach Science, etc. But we 



SERMONS ON PKEACHING. 



253 



must insist that preaching is best 
flavored when it has a seasoning 
of profane truth. Our victory 
does not consist in getting a 
preacher to season his sermons, 
but that is the beginning, which 
may result in turning his sermons 
into pleasing lectures on social 
economy, or some shades of sci- 
entific knowledge. What has been 
done should be continued on a 
much larger scale. If we can get 
a preacher on this incline plane, 
it is very likely that he will be- 
come cold and formal in his pul- 
pit language and manners. If we 
can persuade the clergy to put 
more flowers into their scientific 
bouquets, and more ornaments on 
the bread plate, we will have but 
little trouble to make a spirit- 
ual feast consist of the most 
beautiful dishes spread out on 
an inviting cover, and decor- 
ated with modern tinselry. "With 
such board, the Christians will 
soon starve to a spiritual 
death. " 



254 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



"It is possible to get a 
preacher so that he will look 
upon an error in speech as an 
unpardonable blunder, and at 
the same time, be indifferent 
concerning the salvation of 
souls. We all admire a preach- 
er who is beautifully exact in 
his language, and graceful in 
manners, at the expense of an 
earnest and conscientious pre- 
sentation of the truth/ ' 

6. "We ought to persuade 
preachers to get their supplies 
from below, and thus depend 
on knowledge more than the 
Holy Spirit." 

" There is not much hope 
that we can succeed against 
any preacher, as long as he re- 
ceives his inspirations from 
above, or as long as he opens 
his heart for a Holy Spirit fill- 
ing, as he calls it. When you 
meet such a preacher, the best 
thing to do is to pass on and 
spend your time on a more 
hopeful subject. The preach- 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



255 



er who depends upon the Holy 
Spirit, seems to be infused 
with some kind of fire that is 
worse than poison to us. I 
always hate to get near such a 
preacher, for he sends a chill 
of terror all over my being.' 9 

"Let us do all we can to 
persuade preachers to draw 
from the wells of knowledge 
and depend upon natural ac- 
quirements, which, by careful 
study and training, can be de- 
veloped to a fine degree. ' ' 

7. "Push a preacher to- 
ware [ one of the extremes, 
either Fanaticism or Lifeless- 
ness." 

i i In all this kind of work be 
judicious. If you cannot get 
a man to preach in a cold, 
dead manner, then make an ef- 
fort to push him to the other 
extreme, in which he will 
thunder out at the height of 
his voice, on matters of 
secondary importance. Try 
and ajet him to talk about 



16 



256 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



Hell excessively, and to picture 
the worst images that his lan- 
guage can portray. Make out 
of him a laughing stock as he 
pounds away with poor reason- 
ing and hysterical appeals. If 
you can get him at this tangent 
he will then do as much good 
for our cause as if he were pur- 
posely one of our agents.' ' 

8. "We ought to encourage 
preachers to speculate on the 
Bible." 

' ' It is one of the easiest traps 
you can set for the average 
preacher. Get him to try some 
text that nobody else ever tried. 
If you can fill a sermon full of 
suppositions, it is better than 
to fill it full of facts. Such a 
preacher will likely give his 
congregation more doubt and 
uncertainty than anything else. 
There is a particular craving 
in the human heart to walk on 
mysterious soil, and if a 
preacher will make an attempt 
to solve a deep mystery, he will 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



257 



attract the more enlightened part of his audience 
away from other things. This kind of preaching 
will be productive of infidels and atheists, as long 
as yon can keep the preacher away from the heart- 
stirring parts of the Bible. ' ' 

"If yon cannot succeed with the speculation ar- 
gument, then try the sensational fad. There are 
not a few who can be turned off at this angle, and 
instead of putting a little spice into the sermon 
they can be persuaded to make it nearly all spice. ' ' 




It is not hard to see what kind of preaching the 
Devil would like to have. If a sermon could be 
cut to ten minutes he would then make an effort to 
reduce it to five minutes, or stop the mouths of 
preachers altogether. There is certainly a danger 
of cutting the length of sermons too short, even 
though it may please certain audiences. It would 
be much better if a preacher would put more 
healthy food into his sermons, so that people would 
relish a full meal. Some people want short ser- 
mons because there is nothing but dry punk in 
them, and the less dry stuff they eat the better they 
like it. If a sermon is dead and lifeless, we almost 
feel like giving the Devil 's advice to make it as 
short as possible. 

37 



258 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



In regard to quoting Scripture the Devil knows 
that when a preacher neglects his Bible that he 
fights like a man who has no weapon, therefore 
the promise and point of his sermon is gone. Sa- 
tan has spoiled many sermons by urging that the 
Bible should be disregarded, and as we look over 
the field it is sadly true that the Bible is taking the 
background in too much of the preaching. Some 
are willing to honor the Bible by choosing a text 
therefrom, after which a polite good-bye is given. 

The Devil says there is too much preaching 
about Christ and Hell. No doubt there is too much 
to suit him, but we believe there ought to be much 
more said on these subjects. Hell is just as real 
a place as Heaven, and there are millions of people 
going there. The Bible gives us just as clear a 
conception of the place of torment as of Heaven, 
and since it is such a practical subject, it ought 
to be preached to the people. Not in a tame, 
doubtful manner, but with a positiveness that car- 
ries conviction with it. A proper mingling of the 
terrors of Hell and the glories of Heaven are nec- 
essary to complete the mighty gospel. 

No wonder that Satan argues that Science and 
Philosophy and such kindred topics should be dis- 
cussed more in the pulpit. If he would have a 
short sermon and let the Bible out, and leave 0Ht 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



259 



Christ and Hell, he would naturally wish to sub- 
stitute trash. But we pray that the preacher will 
not be caught in such a net. 

It is in keeping with His Satanic Majesty to 
argue that a preacher should speculate and spend 
the little time he may have, in considering the mys- 
teries of the Bible, or in impressing doubts as to 
the possible meaning of certain passages and doc- 
trines. Let us stand aloof from all such foolish 
suggestions of the Devil. While it may be per- 
fectly proper to admit some so-called speculation 
into a warm sermon, yet it certainly should not 
be the ruling principle of a man's preaching. 
And, as you would shun the intemperate use of 
speculation, so treat the sensational element. The 
word Sensationalism is indeed flexible and can be 
made to cover many things that are not included 
under it. 

The Devil may rejoice over the gain he is mak- 
ing, but the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will 
be preached by a faithful remnant even to the end 
of the age. Then at His coming he will gather 
unto himself the faithful, who shall dwell with him 
in great glory, and reign with him in the most ex- 
alted triumph. 







Sg Satan anil Mem- 








bers of Ijia (ttabinrt & 





Satan once met with his cabinet for the special 
consideration of the subject of prayer. He no- 
ticed that the best Christians were faithful in 
their communion with God and he regarded pray- 
er as one of the necessary conditions to an intense 
spiritual life. He conceived the idea that if Chris- 
tians could be persuaded to pray less, or stop 
praying entirely, that they would soon forget their 
God altogether. 

He met in private interview with his seven chief 
advisors, and after the session was duly opened 
he invited suggestions from those present as to 
the best method of overcoming the prayer habit. 
The imps admitted that prayer was a mighty 
weapon in the hand of their enemies, and they 
were glad for the opportunity of consulting to- 
gether on such a timely subject. 

"I will address you first, suggest- 
ed Satan, "and you will have the 
privilege during my remarks of in- 
terjecting any question or adding 
any comments. One of the strong- 



SATAN 
GIVES A 
SUGGES- 
TION 



SEEMONS ON PEAYEK. 



261 



est blows that we can strike at Christians will be 
to show them some errors in connection with pray- 
er. Let us inform them first of all that it is fool- 
ish to tell God anything whatever, inasmuch as he 
knows more than any one of his creatures. You 
have all noticed in your experience when a Chris- 
tian prays, about one-third of his prayer is offered 
in such a manner as if he were giving information 
to God. Now if we can succeed in getting Chris- 
tians to cut out this particular part of prayer we 
will reduce the time spent in such devotions by 
one-third. This is a cute little point to work, and 
while we cannot expect to gain much with every 
Christian, yet we are sure to reach our point with 
many of them. ' ' 

"I would also call your attention to the faith 
idea that is so strongly entrenched in the hearts 
of those who send up their petitions to Heaven. 
You know that it is a common belief that persons 
must have faith when they pray. It is our work 
to upset this belief as much as possible and try to 
make people believe that faith is not at all neces- 
sary. You can urge the truth that God knows a 
thousand times better than any one who prays 
what is best for the suppliant, and therefore how 
can it be good for a person to believe in advance 
that he will get what he asks for. He ought to be- 



262 



SERMONS ON PRAYER. 



lieve that God will do the best thing for him and 
leave his own faith altogether out of considera- 
tion. " At this point one of the imps advanced a 
question : 

"How shall we distinguish be- 
tween faith and submission V J 

The Devil smiled as he proceeded 
to answer: "Do not try to draw any 
distinction between faith and sub- 
mission. If you can tangle up the mind of a Chris- 
tian with such terms, so much the better. If it 
is possible destroy the simple idea of faith alto- 
gether, or try to make people believe that faith 
consists in believing that God will do the right 
thing for his children whether they ask for it or 
not. If you chance to meet a high-spirited Chris- 
tian you can tell him that the exercising of faith 
very often shows presumption on his part, inas- 
much as he seems to say by it that he is worthy to 
receive what he asks for." 

As the Devil continued, the seven imps listened 
with great interest for they were glad to gather 
some new suggestions that they could use in con- 
junction with the large corps of workers under 
them. 

"Let me assure you, my friends," continued 
Satan with an air of confidence, "that one of the 



I A QUESTION 
ASKED 
BY ONE OF 
THE IMPS 



SERMONS ON PRAYER. 



263 



most powerful elements of prayer is perseverance. 
If yon are shrewd yon can confnse the mind of 
many a Christian by telling him that perseverance 
is humiliating, and that in each case where a per- 
son asks the second time for the same thing it is 
an evidence that he had no faith the first time, or 
that God did not hear the prayer. How could a 
person have the proper faith the first time and 
then be compelled to go the second time and ask 
for the same thing? If you think a moment you 
will see the confusion into which you can lead a 
person, especially one who is not well drilled in 
spiritual prayer. If you can succeed in no other 
way, then try to appeal to the good taste of the 
suppliant. Tell him that it destroys his dignity 
to ask over and over for the same thing and also 
that it is an insult to God. ' ' 

The Devil paused a moment and 
one of the chiefs offered a valuable 
suggestion concerning prayer in 
general. 

"I have been doing my best work 
along the line of anti-prayer by trying to influence 
Christians to copy after somebody else when they 
pray, or to commit their prayers to memory. I 
remember of an experience I had with a promi- 
nent Christian who was very particular about the 



A PROM- 
INENT 
DEVIL RE- 
LATES HIS 
EXPERIENCE 



264 



SERMONS ON PKAYEE. 



language he used in his general conversation. I 
made it my business to be present with him on a 
certain occasion when he was offering prayer, and 
I suggested to his mind that his language was in- 
elegant and that it was grating upon the ears of 
sensitive Christians, particularly upon those who 
were educated and refined. ' 9 

* 1 I was really surprised when I noticed what an 
effect this temptation had on him. He bought a 
book of prayers by a prominent clergyman and 
carefully studied the various ways of addressing 
the Deity. After this I succeeded in getting him 
to be anything but natural when he was offering a 
prayer. I rejoiced as I saw him sailing around in 
the cold forms of rhetoric, having his mind fixed 
upon the construction and form of his prayer, 
more than upon any other feature of it. As I 
walked away I said inwardly: ' As long as that 
David continues to wear Saul's armor, he will not 
do very much effective fighting.' " 

"That is a capital hit,'* advanced the Devil with 
a grin. U I am glad for the experience that our 
friend has just given us. I had expected to speak 
somewhat along that line but his words are suf- 
ficient.' 9 



SEKMONS ON PRAYER. 



265 



Another chief laid his hand on 
the table and proceeded with the fol- 
lowing words : 

"I may not be as shrewd as some 
of yon bnt I have won many Chris- 
' tians away from prayer altogether 

by scattering their thoughts when they were in the 
act of calling upon God. I have often sncceeded in 
getting a person to think about some of their work 
or pleasure even while they were uttering words 
of prayer. The words of prayer died on their lips 
because their hearts were set upon something else 
at the same time. In this manner prayer becomes 
very cold and in a short time the suppliant loses 
the life thrill that naturally comes to his soul when 
he puts his heart into his prayer." 

"You are a great helper," complimented the 
Devil. "Any demon who is shrewd enough to 
catch people in that kind of a trap, is well worthy 
of high rank in my kingdom.' ' 

"I should like to inquire," said 
one of the other imps who was pres- 
ent, "how you would answer a per- 
son who attempts to quote scripture 
on the subject of prayer." 
"Just use a common argument and tell him that 
all such passages are figurative or that they have 



A NEW 
EXPER- 
IENCE BY 
ANOTHER 
DEVIL 



THE DEVIL 
ANSWERS 
A 

QUESTION 



266 



SEEMONS ON PEAYEK. 



a hidden meaning. If it happens to be a scholarly 
minded person with whom you are dealing, quote 
some sentences from the Greek and that will have 
a telling effect. If the person is persistent, then 
make great use of the scene in which Christ is 
found praying and his disciples ask him to teach 
them how to pray, and Christ answers them by 
giving a set form of prayer. Use this argument 
by itself without reference to any other part of 
scripture and tell him that he ought to pray noth- 
ing else than just what Christ told him. If you 
can make a person feel satisfied by continually re- 
peating the Lord's prayer, he will be confined to 
a very narrow channel, and the greater expansion 
of his soul will not be realized." 

These few words in regard to scripture were 
gladly received by the staff of officers. They ad- 
mitted that nothing counted so much against them 
as the teaching of the Bible, and the best way to 
overcome this was to get people to accept wrong 
views of the great book and its teachings. 
— — — "If we can use scripture," sug- 

the case gested one, "in a shrewd manner we 
of Paul can get a hearing from many a f aith- 

and silas ful soul who otherwise would give 
" no attention to any of our advances. 

I remember in a large city I was called by one of 



SERMONS ON PEAYEE. 



267 



my helpers to give some assistance in a very diffi- 
cult case. A certain person was made to believe 
that Paul and Silas prayed in the prison at night 
and that the Lord answered their prayer, and also 
opened the doors of the prison. One of my ser- 
vants who had this case in hand tried to show the 
Christian that prayer never had such an effect, 
but the Christian was still determined in believing 
that there was wonderful power in prayer. So 
I consented to play a part in the case, and I found 
my subject to be very stubborn. The person in 
question was determined upon a literal interpreta- 
tion of the passage. It was then that I told him 
that earthquakes were very common in Palestine 
and especially at night and that it was customary 
to build their jails on a solid foundation, sometimes 
on an immense bed of rock. For this reason an 
earthquake would have a terrible effect on the 
prison wherein Paul and Silas were helplessly 
confined. It was the earthquake that opened the 
doors of the prison and if the whole truth were 
known you would find that Paul and Silas only 
prayed because they were afraid. After an in- 
genious twisting of this part of scripture, I suc- 
ceeded in unsettling the mind of the person very 
much, but I fear that if he reads that part of scrip- 
ture a few times again he will forget all I told him. 



268 



SERMONS ON PRAYER- 



So I have given him in charge of one of my best 
helpers and the future alone will reveal the out- 
come. ' ' 

" There is no doubt/ ' spoke out the Devil with 
decision, "but that we must be firm on this one 
point in teaching that there is no power in prayer, 
and that the only good it does, is to satisfy the 
mind of the suppliant. Many preachers are tak- 
ing advantage of the situation and are preaching 
a good bit about prayer and showing the people 
what wonderful virtue there is in its practice. We 
cannot do much as long as this preaching is going 
on, or as long as we have people who will listen to 
it. We are thankful to say that some preachers 
do not say anything about prayer during a whole 
month. While there are many discouraging fea- 
tures on hand, yet we have reason to be hopeful 
for a successful outcome if we continue to bend 
our energies to our tasks and never let go." 
I - "I am glad to note," spoke in a 

a new n6w voice, "that the general drift of 

vqice m pulpit prayer is toward lifelessness 

pulpit an d formality." 

prayer "All! you are right there," 
' chimed in several voices at once. 
"There was a time," continued the imp, "when 
fervent and effectual prayer fell from the pulpit 



SERMONS ON PREACHING. 



269 



much more than in these days, and its effect on 
the congregation was very noticeable. It is en- 
couraging to relate that we have succeeded some- 
what in cooling off the pulpit fire and at this time 
the zealous prayer is the exception rather than the 
rule. ' ' 

"Did not that all come with the advance of 
learning V 9 asked the Devil. 

"Not altogether, ' ' replied a husky voice. 
"Some of the most learned preachers pray in the 
most fervent spirit. We have accomplished our 
work by choking out the spiritual life in the pulpit 
and the pew. We are urging preachers and people 
to move in the rut, and more important than that, 
to neglect their private devotion altogether. 9 9 

"I see you have had some experience, 9 9 spoke 
the Devil as he followed the words of the speaker 
with a low grin. "Let me urge you to ply your 
ingenuity to the utmost in stopping the practice 
of public or private prayer. We cannot expect to 
make many great advances as long as there are so 
many praying Christians. Every effort you make 
along this line will count and I hope to hear the 
most favorable reports from you all. Sometime 
in the future we can assemble and consider this 
same line of thought and possibly get some addi- 
tional light," 




_ Satan has inspired many utter- 

ances concerning the book of 
f~ Jonah. The following pages con- 

tain some of his latest thoughts on this part of the 



Bible. 

"The Bible in general is a good production, al- 
though many parts of it do not bear the marks 
of genuine inspiration, among which is the book of 
Jonah. This story of Jonah has done more to 
cripple faith in the Bible than most any other of 
its uninspired parts, and about the best purpose 
that it can serve would be to suggest to some good 
novelist a plot for a good story. 

"It may be that such a man as Jonah once lived 
and that he was commanded to go and preach in 
the city of Nineveh, and that he disobeyed the com- 
mand, which resulted in his disfavor and punish- 
ment. There will be no harm in believing this part 
of the story, but when a man of intelligence is ask- 
ed to believe the fish story in connection with it, 



SATAN'S SERMON ON JONAH. 



271 



then permit us to say that he should be excused 
from being so gullible. 

It is claimed that Jonah, after he had received 
his orders, boarded a ship for Tarshish instead 
of going to Nineveh, and that the Lord in his dis- 
pleasure sent out a great wind storm which tossed 
the sea so much that the ship which carried Jonah 
was threatened. All this could happen without 
violating any of the reasonable laws of nature. But 
it is further stated that Jonah fell asleep and con- 
tinued in slumber during the progress of the ter- 
rible storm, to say nothing about the great excite- 
ment on board. It is rather hard to believe a 
thing of this kind, especially since Jonah was a 
Jew. A Jew always looks out for himself, and it 
would have been more like Jonah to be standing 
on deck somewhere near a life-boat. 

"Then it is also claimed that the mariners cast 
lots to determine on whose account the fearful 
tempest was raging. It is claimed that the lot fell 
upon Jonah. Then follows a full confession on 
the part of the penitent Jew, after which he re- 
quested to be cast into the sea. If this were said 
of some men we might believe it, but when it is 
said of a short-sighted Jew the story becomes 
nearly as hard to swallow as for the fish to swal- 
low Jonah. It would be quite natural for a man 



17 



• 



272 



SATAN'S SEKMON ON JONAH. 



like Jonah to work several schemes to shift the 
responsibility and finally to offer a few apologies. 
These are the small things about the story that 
render it hard to believe. But now comes the part 
of the narrative that no one should be asked to 
believe. It is said that the mariners ' Took up Jo- 
nah and cast him forth into the sea, and the sea 
ceased from her raging' and that a great fish swal- 
lowed Jonah. It is not said whether Jonah went 
down perpendicularly or horizontally, lengthwise 
or sidewise." 

"Where could you find a fish that could swallow 
a man, clothing and all? It is a scientific fact that 
no fish has a throat large enough to swallow a man 
whole. One begins to wonder what motive the 
author of such a story had in expecting that peo- 
ple would believe it. ' ' 

"Not only is the swallowing an impossible task 
but the story says that ' Jonah was in the belly of 
the whale three days and three nights. ' Anybody 
that knows anything about fish will testify that no 
sea-serpent or whale could hold an indigestible 
lump in his stomach for such a long period with- 
out getting seasick enough to throw it out. If this 
story would be true, one would pity the fish more 
than Jonah. Think of the great amount of stom- 
ach-ache and head-ache that such a fish would be 
compelled to endure during that terrible period. 



SATAN'S SERMON ON JONAH. 



273 



"It is a wonder that no one has attempted to 
write the supposed experiences of Jonah during 
those three days and three nights while he remain- 
ed in the helly of the fish. That would make about 
as interesting a tale of fiction as any author could 
write. He might proceed to give it in the form of 
a diary, hour by hour. He might say that Jonah 
kept awake during the first twelve hours of his 
strange imprisonment, feeling around against the 
rubber-like walls and slimy pits of the stomach, 
until he was convinced that escape was impossible. 

"The writer could then proceed along the line 
of probability. It would be only natural to sup- 
pose that Jonah felt around until he found the 
hole through which he came into the stomach, and 
that he pushed his head up through this hole and 
worked himself half way up toward the mouth and 
that the fish squeezed him back again. The writer 
could say, with a reasonable shade of accuracy, 
that Jonah was so encouraged by this attempt that 
he made another effort and still another until at 
last he forced his way up to the mouth of the fish 
but could not escape. He held on to the great jaws 
of the fish as long as possible, but at last the fish 
washed him down with a forced swallow. It would 
be a happy hit if some talented writer would fill 
in the whole outline giving us as near as possible 

18 



274 



SATAN'S SERMON ON JONAH. 



the story of Jonah's three days and three nights. 
Then a person could accept this as simple fiction 
without being an infidel. 

' ' Going back to the main story it is also alleged 
that the great fish finally vomited up Jonah upon 
the dry land. This part of the story would not 
be as hard to believe as the other part, because one 
would suppose that the whale would become so 
tired of Jonah that he preferred to do him a favor 
so that Jonah in return would never try to get 
into his belly again. Certainly if a fish could swal- 
low a man, his throat would be large enough to 
throw him out again. 

"Anybody who chooses can believe this story 
in a literal way. Indeed there are many people 
who will believe any thing if it is in the Bible, for 
I heard of a woman who said that she would be- 
lieve it if it was declared that Jonah had swallow- 
ed the whale. But there is a more enlightened 
class of men who have investigated through many 
years, and who are very piously inclined. These 
men accept the book of Jonah as inspired, but in 
keeping with their good judgment they must get 
the figurative construction of the whole book and 
simply count it as showing the bitter fruits of dis- 
obedience. But the most enlightened of all the 
scholars, such who have added to the storehouse 



SATAN'S SERMON ON JONAH. 



275 



of knowledge and have quaffed from the cool 
springs of wisdom, they do not hesitate to ridicule 
the whole story and cast it to the winds so far as 
their own faith is concerned." 



Gtommttttis $vit*un$fm* mm 

Let each one who reads the Devil's views of the 
book of Jonah be sure to read the following: 

' ' What the Devil says about Scripture is worth- 
less because he is a liar and a deceiver. It is said 
in the book of Jonah that ' The Lord had prepared 
a great fish to swallow up Jonah.' The Devil well 
knows that the Lord has all power and that he 
made out of nothing all things that exist, and not 
only made them but sustains them with a math- 
ematical accuracy so fine that even our most deli- 
cately manufactured time pieces must refer to the 
movements of the ponderous orbs for their stand- 
ard time. Any man of ordinary sense, just sense 
enough to keep him out of the asylum, ought to 
see that a Creator who can make a world large 
enough to sustain billions of people ought to be 
able to make a fish large enough to swallow a 
man. ' ' 

"The church and the world are getting tired of 
men who profess to know everything and whose 



276 



SATAN'S SEEMON ON JONAH. 



faith cannot rise to the possibility of believing a 
thing so easy as this. If the story of Jonah is to 
be turned aside on scientific grounds then many 
parts of the Old and New Testament must like- 
wise be put aside. But it is a trick of the Devil to 
destroy faith in any one part of the great book, 
for he knows that if a professor of Christianity 
can be persuaded to disbelieve one small part of 
the Bible, that the way is open to persuade him to 
discard other parts.' ' 

If a man object to the story of Jonah because 
he claims it is contrary to his reason, he must re- 
member that there is more likelihood of his reason 
being out of order than that the book of Jonah is 
defective. Both in nature and revelation there are 
many things beyond reason, and the important 
tact is that they were intended by Infinite Wisdom 
to be so. We can consider ourselves fortunate if 
we succeed in reaching the knowledge that is put 
within range of mortal man. The sainted Henry 
Ward Beecher once said that if God had intended 
that the Atlantic ocean should be waded by man he 
would either have made the ocean more shallow or 
the limbs of man longer. So it is with man's rea- 
son. It is not large enough or big enough to wade 
across the deep oceans of God's truth as it exists in 
Science and Religion. But we need not tremble, 



SATAN'S SERMON ON JONAH. 



277 



inasmuch as "Underneath are the everlasting 
arms. ' ' 

The book of Jonah affords ample instruction to 
the man who brushes doubt away, but he who en- 
virons his vision of faith by a spectrum of doubt 
will not only cripple his own soul, but will shut 
from his view the greater glory of God. 

"Let us not be caught in a trap. We believe in 
God and in that belief is included our experiences 
of the Bible's teaching of his attributes. If we ex- 
ercise full faith about these small things which are 
easy to believe, some day we will be transported 
to a region more vast, where we shall see face to 
face the fulfilment of tasks a thousand times great- 
er than we ever witnessed in this world. Our pres- 
ent life and its requirements are only stepping 
stones into the vast temple where we shall see the 
spring of all power, the center of all good, and 
the fountain-head of all glory.' 9 



4 




Spoken to an Educated Young Man, Whose Conscience 
was Troubled on Account of his Profanity. 

"It is impossible to draw the line between 
swearing and not swearing. There are so many- 
words necessary to give strength to our sentences 
that he who wishes to be forceful in his speech 
makes a serious blunder in barring out all manner 
of by-words. How wisely the good teacher of 
Palestine said that it was not that which came out 
of a man that denied him, but that which went 
into him. So if the heart is right, one need not 
worry so much about the words that pass from the 
mouth. ' ' 

"The many harmless words used in swearing 
only add flavor to your conversation and give you 
an opportunity of expressing the exact shade of 
your feelings. No one would think of becoming 
shocked at the common types of profanity if it 
were not for the prejudice which is quite popular 
against swearing. When charity once reaches that 
standard of excellence for which all good people 



SATAN'S VIEWS ON SWEAKING. 



279 



crave, then there will no longer be this deep-seated 
prejudice against the salt, pepper and spice of onr 
language. ' ' 

"Constantly remember, my young friend, that 
you are a free creature, and that you can do as you 
please. But on account of the civil law try to 
avoid the rank types of profanity lest some fool 
should have you arrested.'' 

■ ' Have you ever noticed that the men who swear 
are usually men of big hearts and kind disposi- 
tions. If there is need of charity in the commun- 
ity, three chances to one, the man who swears will 
be the first one to give substantial help, while the 
pious church people will possibly not know any- 
thing about the needy case until it is too late." 

We can see by the foregoing remarks that Satan 
totally ignores the teaching of the Bible, such as 
is found in the following passages : 

Ex. 20:7, "Thou shalt not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold 
him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." 

Lev. 19:12, "Ye shall not swear by my name 
falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of 
thy God." 

Zech. 5:3, "Every one that sweareth shall be 
cut off." 

Col. 3:8, "Put off all these, blasphemy and 
filthy communication out of your mouth." 



4 



280 SATAN'S VIEWS ON SWEAEING. 

When profanity is so expressly forbidden in the 
greatest book in the world, and is also contrary 
to the civil law, then no one ought to listen to the 
wicked teaching of Satan on this subject. 

It is easily understood that if Satan had his 
own way every mouth would flow with black 
curses. He knows very well that when a. person 
can be persuaded to take the name of God in vain 
that he is unlit to worship the same God in spirit 
and in truth. Or to put the matter more plainly 
he is lending his influence to the service of Satan. 

Satan has a peculiar way of quoting Scripture. 
He stops short in the middle of a verse or re- 
verses the order of the thought just as he sees 
proper to carry out his low purpose. When he 
makes reference to the "Good teacher of Pales^ 
tine" he quotes the passage in a manner altogether 
misleading. It is a hundred times better to never 
look at the Bible than to use it for such purposes. 

Satan tells a black falsehood regarding the 
character of the men who swear. Swearing has 
never made anybody charitable or kind and it is 
strange that anybody should tolerate such views. 
The world has received its greatest blessings from 
the people who respect and worship God and who 
could not take His name in vain under any circum- 
stances. The world's march of progress has been 



SATAN'S VIEWS ON SWEARING. 



281 



aiong the line of the pure in heart and pure in 
words. In the language of another let us say that 
"The man who swears does ten things at once." 

1. He breaks the command of God. 2. He vio- 
lates the law of the land. 3. lie transgresses the 
rules of good manners. 4. He outrages decency. 
5. He insults good people. 6. He profanes sacred 
things. 7. He shows bad bringing up. 8. He dis- 
honors his parents. 9. He does what he is asham- 
ed of. 10. He does what he will regret. 



I bg IHrntera of % leiril'a 

■I fi MI^MI HIII1IH — 111 nn l , 

A few years after the twentieth century had 
commenced, Satan called a special session of his 
seven chief helpers. These evil spirits were the 
highest in rank of all the intelligences in his Sa- 
tanic kingdom, and they reached thei^ position not 
through favoritism or partiality, but because of 
their fitness for it. In terms of our national gov- 
ernment these seven devils would constitute Sa- 
tan's cabinet. In accordance with the call, the se- 
lect company met and were ready to hear the 
words of their trusted chief. 

I looked upon these famous spirits as they were 
convening, and although I could not get a close 
view of their most interesting faces, yet I saw 
enough of them to impress my mind for life. 
Each face was a new revelation to me. Oh, how 
my soul is chilled with horror as memory holds 
the view! On one face was pictured all the pain 
and anguish that had been furrowed through cen- 
turies of a forced service; another face was such 
a terrible picture of sadness that no words could 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 283 

possibly give a description of it; and if I had an 
artist who could draw the third face, I could by an 
exhibition of it, turn thousands of people from 
their present evil course to the path of truth and 
righteousness. 

The study of these faces alone is a most valuable 
work although most revolting. We can see in this 
life the effect of fifty or sixty years of evil think- 
ing on the faces of certain individuals. How care- 
fully the lines are drawn on such countenances 
which point as index fingers back to the character 
of their souls. Human life is so short that the 
process of evil designs is soon cut ofT and we can 
only get the story of sin as marked in one life in 
less than a century. But think of a demon of great 
mental energy, who has been biased toward sin, 
and who has been scheming against righteousness 
for thousands of years. His face tells the awful 
story of his past career. 

When the cabinet assembled, Satan sat as 
Chairman of the meeting and his principal pur- 
pose for calling the session was soon discovered. 
He leaned over a peculiar desk and spoke to his 
chief advisors in slow, distinct tones, with words 
carefully weighed: 

"I have selected seven prizes. The first one is 
the most handsome, and the rest are graded, each 



284 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

one less valuable than the other down to the sev- 
enth. Even the seventh prize is costly and beau- 
tiful and will be worn with pride by its owner, but 
the first prize outdazzles anything that I have yet 
offered through the centuries. I will not now re- 
veal the nature of these' prizes. In due time you 
will not only see them, but you shall possess them. 
They will be awarded according to your work dur- 
ing the next six months, as I shall now describe. ' y 

"The one of you who will inaugurate the best 
scheme to help our cause during the coming six 
months shall receive the first prize. The one who 
does the next best work will receive second prize, 
and so on until the seven prizes are awarded." 

"When the six months have ended we shall 
gather in special session and each one of you will 
give your official report before one thousand 
judges. When the seven reports are given a vote 
will be taken and by this vote the distribution of 
prizes will be determined. ' y 

After this plan was fully explained, some less 
important business was transacted and then the 
experienced demons went forth to ply their ingen- 
uity against the kingdom of righteousness. 

At the end of six months the wonderful gather- 
ing convened. The Devil himself was present 
and on this occasion sat in the center of the audi- 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 



285 



ence on a specially prepared throne. The mem- 
bers of the cabinet occupied their seats of honor 
on a large platform before the assembled host. 
The one thousand judges were gathered in com- 
fortable array, each one having his appointed 
place. Beyond the judges sat a numberless host 
of visiting imps who were also greatly interested 
in the outcome of the famous contest. At the 
proper time the first evil spirit arose, and looking 
down upon the small army of judges addressed 
them in a dignified manner: 

"You are all aware of the special work that I 
accomplished in the recent past. After a long, 
careful study of the condition of the church of 
Christ on earth, I conceived the idea that nothing 
would help our cause so much as to increase all 
kinds of hypocrisy (applause) and so, with an 
army of assistants, I invented certain kinds of ma- 
chinery for the manufacture of sheepskins of all 
kinds and all sizes. (Applause.)- You all know 
that it had been customary for our helpers to wear 
sheepskins during the ages of the past, but as I 
concluded to carry the scheme into popular use 
among church members and others, I found that 
there were not sheep enough killed each year to 
supply the need. So I have my Sheepskin Fac- 
tory in full operation as you are all aware. We 



286 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

are now able to furnish any little mean wolf or 
any large one, with, a perfect fit of sheepskin. 
(Applause.) And I assure you that we have al- 
ready done a great amount of good for our cause. 
We are able to make any man or woman appear 
like a lamb no matter whether his real character 
is like unto a wolf, a goat or a hyena. You cannot 
tell our skins from the natural hide. This is the 
most approved and thoroughly up-to-date method 
of covering up a person's real condition, and 
many prominent church members are pleased at 
the help we have given them to make them look 
like innocent lambs when in reality they are as 
mean as hyenas.' ' 

" You would be very much surprised if youcwere 
to know what a great demand is made upon us by 
certain politicians and business men. We have 
made many a guilty man appear innocent and the 
demands upon us are constantly increasing. (Ap- 
plause.) Our factory has been enlarged during 
the last sixty days and we are now running contin- 
ually. (Applause.) At first we experienced con- 
siderable difficulty in giving certain persons a 
good fit, but I used my best ingenuity to overcome 
this trouble and now we have a system by which 
we can give perfect satisfaction in fitting all dif- 
ferent shapes." (Applause.) 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 287 

"I assure you that the sheepskin factory has 
come to stay, (wild applause*) and its benefit to 
our cause will be more clearly seen as the years 
roll by." (Wild and prolonged applause.) 

After a few moments the next speaker arose 
and with his deep voice proved to be very attrac- 
tive to his auditors : 

"What I have endeavored to do for our cause 
has also been seen by you all. You have expressed 
your appreciation to me and my helpers at many 
a place even before this meeting convened. As I 
looked upon the large number of persons who 
were influenced by doubt, I conceived the idea that 
if I could place Sign Boards along the pathway of 
life and especially at other places where the paths 
turn to the left, that this would prove very effec- 
tive in helping souls to go astray.' ' (Applause.) 

"At first the work seemed to be small in my 
eyes, and after I had operated on a limited scale 
it dawned upon me that I had undertaken a fa r 
reaching and very important task. That will ej 
plain why I built a large Sign Board Factory. 
Then the second thought dawned upon me that 
these signs ought to be ornamental or have some- 
thing connected with them to attract attention. 
I undertook to carry out this idea and that will ex- 



18 



28S SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

plain why there is a cluster of buildings around 
the central factory' building. ' ' (Applause.) 

"You have all seen what beautiful signs are 
erected along the King's Highway at the place 
called Downcast Meadow. That one large sign 
hanging over the byway with the inscription : ' One 
Mile to Sunnyland, ' cost us a great amount of 
time and patience, but it has already worked won- 
ders for our cause. The colored electric lights 
that rise and fall as they shine each in their turn, 
is enough to awaken the curiosity of any pilgrim 
and especially those who may be downcast. Of 
course, the beautiful colored lights are there only 
to attract the attention and then the sign is read 
incidentally. In almost every instance the eye will 
follow along to the next sign: 'One mile and a 
half to the Summit of Hope.' Many are turned 
to the left at this place, and they stumble into one 
or another of our traps before they realize that 
'Sunnyland' or 'Summit of Hope' cannot be 
found." (Strong applause.) 

"This is but a single description. I might con- 
sume a long period of time in telling you of the 
many places where our guide posts have attracted 
attention, and accomplished their purpose. But 
the majority of you have already seen all of these, 
and I am sure that you will agree with me when I 



290 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

affirm that these signs are proving a wonderful 
help to our comrade spirits when they are trying 
to lead pilgrims from the way of life." (Ap- 
plause.) 

"The wheels of our factory are humming, and 
our electrical apparatus is not only up-to-date 
but ahead-of-date. It is our aim to specialize 
along this line, and to furnish all kind of freaks 
and novelties that will arrest the attention of pil- 
grims enroute for Heaven.' ' (Unusual applause.) 

The next speaker was greeted with many smiles 
as he approached the center of the stage. His 
voice was less eloquent than those of his two pre- 
decessors, but his manner was more pleasing be- 
cause of his inclination to wit. 

"For several months past I have been known as 
the ' Whitewash Devil.' (Laughter.) It may 
seem funny to you at this time, but I assure you 
that I had anything but fun when I was studying 
out the necessary proportion of elements to make 
my new kind of whitewash, which is far superior 
to the common whitewash, inasmuch as it sticks 
better and we claim that it is good for the health. 
This new article has become very popular, and to 
supply the demand we proceeded to the erection 
of that immense factory with its peculiar machin- 
ery. I am glad that we have succeeded thus far 



SEKMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 291 

in our undertaking. If we can get a Christian to 
use our goods according to direction lie can so 
cover up a black deed or a black heart that no or- 
dinary storm of persecution will wash the white- 
ness away." (Great applause.) 

The most amusing part of my work is that I 
have an agent employed in most every congrega- 
tion who will do whitewashing cheap. (Applause.) 
He gets the material from our factory and uses 
it wherever and whenever there is a single demand 
for it. Even some preachers recommend our im- 
proved whitewash. " (Furious applause.) 

"The whitewashing business may seem like a 
small thing in your judgment, but I am here to in- 
form you that we manufacture immense quantities 
of this commodity and the demand is still increas- 
ing every week." 

At this the speaker walked toward his seat and 
there was a wonderful demonstration. It seemed 
that his manner and gestures did more to cause , 
the outburst than anything else. 

After the third speaker had finished he was suc- 
ceeded by a very tall demon, whose eyes blazed 
like balls of fire. He appeared to be under a ner- 
vous strain and from his appearance one would 
think that he had enjoyed no rest for several hun- 
dred years. 



292 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

"Let me assure you," he commenced, "that I 
studied diligently after our special commission of 
six months ago. My mind seemed to meditate 
along the line of our equipment for war, and I 
conceived the idea that our military forces could 
do much more effective work if we had rapid firing 
guns that were practical in their operations." 

"To complete such a gun I bent myself to the 
task, and after a period of heavy work I succeed- 
ed in perfecting what might be called * Satan's 
Gattling Gun.' (Applause.) With the use of this 
weapon we can make thrice as much havoc in a 
given time as with the best gun we formerly used. 
The miniature gattling gun, which operates on 
similar principles as the larger gun, can be train- 
ed upon a single soul, and it is wonderful how 
death and confusion can be wrought in a short 
time. (Applause.) One of my servants who car- 
ried a small gun, fired the shots of temptation rap- 
idly into a woman's heart, and she was so thor- 
oughly confused that nothing seemed to be able 
to counteract the attack." (Prolonged applause.) 

"The best feature yet attained is the lightness 
of the small gun, which enables any imp of Hell 
to carry it without much trouble. Already there 
are several millions of these guns in use. (Ap- 
plause.) We are hoping before long to supply 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 393 

the whole range of the infernal kingdom." (Wild 
applause.) 

The speaker left the stage with a quick step and 
was immediately followed by one of the brightest 
members of the cabinet. His very appearance in- 
voked an applause, for it seemed that the whole 
company of judges were conversant with his work 
even before he described it. After a moment's 
pause he spoke in pleasing tones : 

"My worthy compeers, I know that my master 
is deserving of all that I was able or will be able to 
do for him. After his special commission of six 
months ago, I aimed to do what I thought would 
be the greatest service to the whole host of our 
helpers. As you have all learned before this I 
compiled and composed what is now commonly 
known as 'The Master's Recipe Book.' " (Great 
applause.) 

"For doing so small a service I scarcely ex- 
pected so great a reward as I have already had. 
All kinds of congratulations are reaching me, and 
many have expressed their appreciation for the 
publication of the book." 

"Let me read to you a few quotations, which I 
culled from my pile of letters. My purpose is not 
to exalt myself but I am hoping that some of these 
extracts may inspire you to a better use of the 
book." The first he read was as follows: 



294 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

"Let me thank you for your valuable work. I 
found in your book 'How to get to Heaven With- 
out Working. 1 I never thought of such an ingen- 
ious manner of tempting a mortal being, and 
yours worked like a charm. The book glistens 
with original ideas, and I am sure that by its help 
I can do much more work for our master than 
ever before/ ' (Applause.) 

Another letter was rather lengthy, from this he 
quoted*: 

"Your book is certainly a capital hit. The last 
use I made of it was three hours ago. I chanced 
to be close to an insulted Christian and then your 
recipe dawned upon me: 'How to treat a person 
who insults you.' I used your advice with telling 
effect and I am sure that when I left that man he 
had less religion in his heart than before. One of 
the most novel chapters in the whole book is: 
' Fishing. ' Not only did I laugh, but I also profit- 
ed by its timely suggestions. ' ' (Applause.) 
Another letter contained the following: 
"Your book of one thousand recipes is the best 
literary production in all our kingdom. You de- 
serve unlimited praise for its publication. It 
seems to me the most wonderful recipe of all the 
one thousand is the one: 'How to mix Jealousy 
with Love.' You strike the keynote of the whole 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 295 

question. If we can get a person to try to mix 
these two qualities we know what will happen t© 
the love part. (Great applause.) Your reasoning 
in the book is so plausible that I cannot see how 
a single soul can escape, who gives his attention to 
the volume. I hope that you will receive your 
good share of honor for the great service you have 
thus done for all the forces of Hell.'' 

The speaker opened another letter and was 
about to read when he lifted his eyes toward the 
audience and said: 

"I feel impressed that I have read enough. 
(."Go on," and similar cries came from the audi- 
ence.) I could proceed for a long period of time, 
but I have concluded to cease reading inasmuch as 
each of you have access to the book and I assure 
you that it will never be a secret publication. ' ' 
(Tremendous applause.) 

After a short interval the next speaker advanced 
with a dignity that would be hard to surpass. His 
voice was well adapted to oratory and his gestures 
were always pat. He commenced with a moderate 
intonation and the volume of his voice increased 
as he proceeded. 

"I am not quite so fortunate as my comrades 
who preceded me. I believe that my labors were 
just as severe during the past six months, and yet 



£96 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET?. 

I have been utterly unable to finish my task, al- 
though I had hoped to be done before this day. I 
am building a Medical Factory where the most 
effective formula will be used in the manufacture 
of all kinds of chemicals, and also the most per- 
fect apparatus will be used for the injection of 
these chemicals into the spiritual bodies of our 
enemies. ' ' (Applause. ) 

" Since I see the great need of thorough work, 
I am willing to take a smaller prize to-day and 
complete my task more slowly. «So I will say 
nothing more than to give a little prophecy. I 
ask your indulgence as I utter these words : 

"When my plans are finished you can get any 
one of the concoctions mentioned in the 'Master's 
Recipe Book' with a full assurance that you have 
received the proper mixture of elements. Accur- 
acy in this particular is very essential to do effec- 
tive work. You are well aware that no recipe 
would be of any account if improper elements or 
impure ingredients are used. We are also manu- 
facturing many useful mixtures that are not men- 
tioned in the 'Master's Eecipe Book.' (Great ap- 
plause.) Of all these you will learn more accur- 
ately in the near future or just as soon as I am 
able to finish this work." 

The seventh member of the cabinet approached 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 297 

to the front of the stage with a steady step. He 
seemed to be perfectly calm and his face was set 
with rigid lines, each one telling its own long tale 
of demoniacal study. 

"Six months ago," he commenced, "after the 
special commission from our most worthy master, 
I carefully studied the whole field of our opera- 
tions and tried to determine where we were most 
neglectful in our work. It appeared to me that 
missionary effort was making more advancement 
against us than any other branch of the enemy's 
work. ' ' 

"As I looked out over the field of the Christian 
church I saw at home and abroad the bright fires 
of missionary zeal. These fires had a different 
color from the fires of Hell and to me it was pain- 
ful to look upon them. How can I quench those 
fires ? I mused to myself. With this end in view I 
studied diligently and instead of spinning out a 
whole lot of theories, I commenced to experi- 
ment. ' ' 

"I first constructed a chemical engine. The 
liquid used was composed of a certain combination 
of ignorance, selfishness and unbelief. I tried the 
new machinery in a congregation where the mis- 
sionary zeal was burning brightly. I threw my 
specially prepared liquid over the hearts of the 



298 SEEMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

people* and believe me or not, I could notice a per- 
ceptible decrease in the light of the fire." (Great 
applause.) 

6 6 While the chemical engine was doing its work, 
I succeeded in getting a number of church mem- 
bers to carry water for me. While they did the 
carrying, I did the throwing as effectively as pos- 
sible. By this double effort I am sure that the 
fires were reduced nearly one-half. (Unusual ap- 
plause.) Had it not been for some one continually 
pouring oil from above, I believe that the mission- 
ary fire could have been totally extinguished. J 
know of nothing that can overcome altogether the 
oil of the Holy Spirit. ' ' 

"It is my purpose to send imps into every con- 
gregation or society where there is the least fire 
of missionary zeal. And judging from what has 
already been accomplished, I feel safe in prophe- 
sying that we will drown out a large part of the 
missionary zeal in the church of Christ on earth. ' ' 

As the speaker was walking to his seat, the dem- 
onstration was very boisterous. Some were stand- 
ing on their feet during the excitement. 

The seven addresses were at an end, and as the 
Devil arose he called for another cheer. This was 
answered by a deafening roar which continued as 
long as the Devil smiled in approval. At length 



SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 299 

he gestured for silence, and the contrast was in- 
deed painful. The ear of each demon was turned 
toward the stage in order to catch every word that 
fell from the lips. of the great master, who had by 
this time reached the platform. 

"We have listened to seven remarkable ad- 
dresses," commenced the Devil. "The work done 
by each one of these speakers is worthy of our 
highest admiration and praise. By inventing and 
operating new schemes we can only hope to cope 
with our great adversary, and counteract the vig- 
orous life and policy that is ever manifested in 
his church. We have learned by our bitter defeats 
that many of our former methods are no longer of 
any use. If we hope to win in the great struggle 
against our foes we must continue in the future to 
invent new methpds for every age and thus be able 
to meet any new advance that may be made upon 
us by our enemies." 

"But of all these things we will speak later. 
The interesting feature now at hand is the distri- 
bution of the seven prizes." 

At this juncture a company of imps carried 
upon the stage the seven different prizes. The 
first was a hollow ground crown of gold set with 
a diamond that had been taken from the Devil's 
crown. The seventh prize was a golden belt artist- 



300 SERMONS BY THE DEVIL'S CABINET. 

ically carved with beautiful figures. The other 
prizes were of various kinds and indeed were a 
most valuable collection. After the exhibition of 
these prizes the Devil commanded that the vote 
of the judges should be lifted. Each judge was 
told to cast a single vote with one of the seven 
numbers on it. 

When the vote was gathered and counted the re- 
sult was as follows : 

Speaker No. 1 received 107 votes. 



t i 


it 2 " 


106 " 


i < 


a 3 a 


130 " 


tt 


" 4 " 


154 " 


i i 


a 5 a 


172 il 


i i 


a g tt 


171 " 


i I 




160 il 



After this result was announced each prize was 
awarded amid the applause of the gathered multi- 
tude. After adjournment the army of imps went 
forth to profit all they possibly could by what they 
had learned. 



last Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit, whence 
he can look over the bridgeless gulf to the far-off 
City of Light. 




The time is coming when this young world of- 
ours will be old and decrepit with age, when the 
proudest monuments of human glory will have 
crumbled to dust. The empire of sin shall then 
fall to pieces and its king shall be chained in the 
bottomless pit, far off from the gates of Heaven. 
Can we not imagine that when this time shall have 
come, Satan will sing his bitter song somewhat 
after the following lines: 

"Long ago I planned in my passing pride, 
That to-day I would reign as king. 
But where is my kingdom, where is my crown? 
Is the bitter song that I sing." 

"What joy have I won through my evil designs? 
What peace in my soul-wrecking plan? 
I hoped to conquer both Heaven and Hell 
But have won nothing more than man. ,, 

"I can see above, o'er the bridgeless gulf, 
The glorified Heaven-lit strand, 
My chains make me feel the double disgrace 
As I crouch 'neath the Infinite Hand. ' ' 



304 



THE DEVIL'S LAST SONG. 



" Where are my princes, my legions of dupes, 
And the millions of souls I won! 
My pains and my chains are greater by far 
Because of the deeds I have done.'' 

"All my plans and my schemes in a thousand 
ways, 

Like bubbles are blown out of sight, 

My fancies and hopes like a passing dream 

Are covered by shadows of night.' ' 

"Come on, all ye dupes, ye millions of men, 
Who heeded my wishes like fools, 
Take your share for aye of the galling chains, 
Under Him who in triumph rules.' } 

1 ' You have lived and died for my noble cause, 
Your souls are eternally marred, 
You shall see no more than glimpses of light 
Of Heaven from which you are barred." 

"Then fling all your hopes, my friends, to the 
winds, 

As the echo of sadness replies, 

You will feel henceforth the deeper degrees, 

Of the Hell which beneath us lies. ' ' 



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